


Mist of the Siren

by Kira_Dattei



Series: The Deva Chronicles Universe [1]
Category: No. 6 - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Canonical Character Death, Developing Relationship, Don't Have to Know Canon, M/M, Magic, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-16
Updated: 2019-07-06
Packaged: 2019-11-22 03:26:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 95,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18129401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kira_Dattei/pseuds/Kira_Dattei
Summary: Core: a kernel of power that grants the person it awakens within abilities.Oni: people who use the abilities they gain from their cores to harm others.Devas: an organization of people who fight the Oni and protect civilians.Ever since a core awakened within Shion, he just wanted to use it to help others, to feel like he had a purpose. He believes that becoming a Deva is what he's supposed to do to accomplish this. When he meets a captivating boy, deciding to help him, Shion's life is changed forever and he is faced with one challenge after another to help him understand that having a core and the abilities it grants him is only part of what he can offer the world.





	1. Impression

**Author's Note:**

> Well, hello there!  
> To completely flip from the canon compliant fics I've posted, now I go to a completely AU world with these guys, though I have put a lot of work into making sure their characters remain as true as possible because I love these two exactly as they are in canon.  
> So, since this is the actual first story of the series, I will point out here that while there is an overarching plot that will connect the different fandoms that will be included in this AU world (No. 6, Only the Ring Finger Knows, Teen Wolf, Yuri! On Ice, Spartacus, and Glee) I'm trying to make it not necessary to read the other fics to understand what is going on.  
> I also don't start posting a fic until it is complete so this isn't a WIP and I will be posting updates every Saturday.  
> If you have any questions about terminology that I don't give an explanation for, feel free to ask and I will answer what won't spoil anything. I will be adding a glossary of terms to the end A/N once I get through with my editing read of the fic and have everything I need to know what to include in the glossary.  
> I hope you enjoy.

“Number forty-seven?”

“Chimera, cardiac and left hemisphere.”

“Number forty-eight?”

“Right hemisphere.”

“Number forty-nine?”

“Left hemisphere.”

“And number fifty?”

“Left and right hemispheres, Chimera.”

There was a pause and Shion had to concentrate to keep his gaze from wandering in curiosity. They’d been testing him for the past three hours and he was becoming anxious about them finding “one more thing” to evaluate.

He did understand: he was only thirteen and he was applying to the Devas, one of the agencies that existed to uphold the laws of users. Sure, there wasn’t an age restriction currently implemented in their country, but that didn’t mean that people just barely hitting teenage years were applying all the time.

No one younger than sixteen had applied before him; he’d checked.

So, he understood their hesitation in telling him yes because of his age.

But they also couldn’t just tell him no because of his age either. He was applying because he knew what he had to offer. After all, it wasn’t every day there was a user of genius-level intelligence wanting to limit themselves to the scope of the Devas. So many of them went into research for cores, dispositions, affinities, users, and all the other aspects of what made over half of the population capable of incredible things they once weren’t able to accomplish.

But as fascinated as Shion was with the research being done, especially with Chimeras, the studies being done on how more than one core existing in the same person affected each other, he didn’t want to be stuck in some lab for the rest of his life. He wanted to make a difference and the Devas were always the first thing people thought of when it came to making a difference.

“You should just wait until you’re sixteen,” Safu had told him. “You still look like a kid and they’re going to feel like they should be protecting you. Making you a Deva wouldn’t exactly be an act of protection.”

“There are more jobs for a Deva than just fighting Oni,” he had replied. “No Deva starts out fighting Oni.”

“It’s the principle.”

“Won’t know unless I try. They could use a challenge.”

Safu had rolled her eyes and went back to her homework. “You’re an impatient idiot. If they refuse your application, I’m forbidding you from getting bummed out about it.”

“Then I’m forbidding any iteration of the words ‘I told you so’ from you.”

He didn’t want them to refuse. He wanted to feel like he was doing something. School wasn’t enough. He was just drifting through life and he couldn’t take that any longer. He _had_ to feel like he had purpose.

“Mr. Himura,” one of the Devas called his name and he turned his focus to the man and waited for him to continue. “Your mother is Karan Himura, correct?”

He figured that would come up eventually; he was actually slightly disappointed it hadn’t come up sooner.

“Yes, she’s my mom. She was a Deva until just before she got pregnant with me,” he answered easily. He wanted to get in on his own merit, but if it took some influence from his mom’s reputation with them, he’d accept that.

“I’m sure someone as intelligent as you are can understand why we are so hesitant to accept your application,” the Deva declared instead of following that line of discussion. “And, to be frank, we already have enough Clairvoyants active with us and they are old enough to be assigned where we need them. Just because we allow applicants under the age of eighteen doesn’t mean that the allowance comes without restrictions. If we put young teenagers in positions of likely combat, the backlash from the public would be devastating. People wouldn’t trust us.”

“If you had already decided to refuse, why did you bother with the testing?” Shion challenged. Maybe he just needed to push back. He knew this was where he was supposed to be and so he would fight like he normally wouldn’t.

“We have to conduct a complete evaluation of all applicants. If there was something you had to offer us we were in need of, some aspect of your disposition that would make the risk you would be taking on worth it, then we would have accepted you. That doesn’t seem to be the case so we are going to recommend you apply again at a more acceptable age.”

Shion couldn’t help but let out a sigh, his head dropping in his defeat. Safu and his mom had both told him that he wasn’t going to be accepted. The woman working the front desk of the Deva’s office had given him a look that told him he was stupid for trying. There was even this small part of him that had known all along that he would be turned down and he’d done all he could to ignore it.

Apparently, he was supposed to be useless for the next few years at least. And there was no guarantee that he’d been accepted then either. The Devas accepted what they needed, only made exceptions for special cases.

And Shion wasn’t a special case in regards to his disposition. Yes, he was intelligent – to put it lightly, he acknowledged – but that meant nothing to the relatively common Clairvoyant disposition. There were plenty of people working for the Devas that could see cores much better than he could.

If he’d set himself up for failure with so many people telling him that’s exactly what he was doing, why did he feel so disappointed?

“I understand. Thank you for your time, sir,” he replied in a polite tone, offering a bow.

The man returned the bow and some of his professional demeanor slipped. “Thank you for trying. I respect your courage and encourage you to apply again when you are at least sixteen. We won’t take you younger than that, regardless of there being no minimum age requirement for joining the Devas. We just can’t put you in the positions we find ourselves in, tell you to make the choices we do as Devas at your age and think we’re on the right side. Not with your abilities.”

Shion nodded and stood, then turned toward the door, walking out with his head down. He moved through the waiting room without looking up at all to acknowledge anyone else. He knew there would still be plenty of people waiting for their turn to be evaluated but he didn’t want to see any of them and know there would be some that wouldn’t be leaving with the same disappointment as him. He kept walking until he was out the doors and then he only descended a few before he sat down heavily on one of the steps, pulling his feet up to the step just below him so he could rest his elbows on his knees and hang his head.

Now what was he supposed to do?

He didn’t want to go back to just going to school, testing out of classes once he got a chance to read through everything. Sure, Safu was right there with him with her own brilliance, but it just wasn’t enough to make him feel like anything he was doing was worthwhile.

But he had no other choice for now. He was too young as far as everyone else was concerned. Maybe he would apply to assist with research to tide him over. It wasn’t like he was swimming in options.

He let out a heavy sigh as he moved to stand. His mom was expecting him back home once he finished up and he shouldn’t make her worry just because the day was a disappointment.

He’d just straightened and was moving to step down the rest of the stairs when he was suddenly knocked into from behind and he fell forward. He brought up his arms to protect himself from the rough impact with the ground, hoping it wouldn’t end up as bad as it could be falling down a few steps to concrete.

The landing did hurt, his forearms taking the brunt of the impact though it did mean his head didn’t hit. And then the breath was knocked out of him as what was obviously another person landed on him, Shion letting out a grunt as he rolled to the side as he tried to get clear enough to recover his breath.

He looked over his shoulder to see who had run into him and was surprised to see that it was someone his age. The other boy was gaunt, the baggy clothes he was wearing not hiding that fact. His black hair was long, reaching his shoulders in a manner that said it was more ungroomed than a choice. And his eyes were a striking grey, not a shade Shion had ever seen before. But cores could affect appearance and influence shades of hair and eyes to make them end up a seemingly unnatural color so that was easy enough to accept, even as Shion remained intrigued by it.

And he was definitely a user, a Chimera, the pale aura of power surrounding his head so he had cores centered in both hemispheres of his brain.

What was he doing running out of the Deva headquarters? Shion hadn’t seen anyone else in there waiting to be evaluated that was his age. So, what reason did he have to be there?

He heard footsteps approaching at a run and he looked back toward the building to see three Devas running toward them.

He felt the other boy tense up and he reacted instinctively, ignoring the burn of barely getting his breath back and the dull pain from cuts on his arm and he sat up and moved between the boy and the approaching Devas, getting them to pause from the action.

They looked like they were ready for a fight.

But when they saw how Shion was positioned between them, they seemed to slow down and Shion thought they looked confused, stopping a few meters away.

“You need to step aside, kid. He’s dangerous,” one of the Devas said in a placating manner.

Shion looked over his shoulder toward the other boy, taking in his rough appearance and the tense manner he held himself as he glared down the Devas. It was entirely possible that he was dangerous, but there was something about him that made Shion think he wasn’t a danger to them. Sure, he wasn’t telepathic, but when his best friend’s specialty was in psychology and neurobiology, he picked up a few things about reading body language. He just couldn’t shake the feeling that this kid was only like this because he was being threatened.

So, Shion turned back to the Devas and declared, “No, he’s not.”

Now the Devas looked irritated. “Alright, look, kid. I’m sure you think that just because he’s your age that he can’t already be classified as an Oni, but there’s no age limit on people using their cores to hurt others.”

“The latest percentile of users worldwide having been given the designation of Oni because they broke the laws using their cores is close to forty and within that estimate, there are less than five percent under the age of sixteen,” Shion replied confidently. He’d been looking at averages before he’d put in his application, looking for anything that would help improve his chances.

The Deva looked surprised, then recovered. “Then you have no reason to believe that he hasn’t done anything to deserve being called an Oni. Do you know him?”

“No.”

“Then let us do our jobs.”

“But his cores don’t look like the Oni I was shown,” Shion insisted. Something _had_ to get through to them.

And that did seem to gain their attention in a different way, the Devas looking between each other.

“And you are?” he was asked then and he frowned.

“Shion Himura. I was applying to become a Deva,” he added, feeling like it would help his chances a little in convincing these guys they were wrong.

“And we’re wrong about him being an Oni?”

“Yes. They showed me profiles of people to test my Clairvoyance and only about half of them were Oni.”

“Let it go, kid. I’m no one’s charity case,” a quiet voice spoke to Shion from behind him and he again looked over his shoulder to the other boy, who was still watching the Devas intently.

But he didn’t have to let this go; he could do something here.

He knew Devas were only human, no matter what their cores and training made them capable of. They made mistakes. They could be wrong. They’d been wrong before; not often, but it happened. And they were wrong now and Shion would see that they understood that.

“Why are you so sure that he _is_ an Oni?”

“He’s been identified in incidents involving known Oni. He’s claimed that he was with them gathering information but has no one to corroborate any lack of involvement with them. Until we are able to question him with a Reader present to perceive his thoughts, he is to be detained.”

“So, you don’t actually know if he’s really an Oni? You’re just calling him that to be convenient? Aren’t the Devas supposed to be better than that?”

“We can’t let someone suspected of Oni activity walk out, especially when he used his abilities against us to escape.”

“That’s an overstatement,” the voice behind Shion spoke again, this time in a louder tone so it could be heard by the Devas as well. “All I did was throw a barrier on the door and you took too long to get through it before I made it out. Consider it a failed competency test.”

Devas were supposedly trained to handle any situation, including a pre-teen insulting them, so Shion was surprised to see the Deva that had been handling the talking get so angry at such little provocation.

It made Shion wonder if the other boy had been making comments like that for as long as he’d been in custody and they were just at the end of their ropes.

Shion was getting concerned that if he didn’t settle things, the boy would be clear of being an Oni, but would be turned to other authorities for his attitude.

One of the other Devas that had been silent so far stepped forward, his gaze locked on Shion but he seemed less intense than the one that had been talking so far. “We don’t make a habit of dismissing abilities. What sort of enforcement agency would we be if we disregarded the assets available to us? But we can’t just take your word for it. We have to know that what you’re saying is something we can trust.” He looked past Shion to the other boy. “If he can prove that he really can see you aren’t an Oni, we’ll have no reason to hold you and will let you go. But if you make us continue chasing after you now, that gives us reason to pursue you and hold you when we catch you again.”

“Give up the easy or the hard way. That’s what you’re saying?” the boy replied.

The Deva shrugged. “If that’s what you want to take it as. It makes no difference to us. Our job is securing Oni. If you aren’t an Oni, we have no reason to pay you any mind. So, how quickly do you want us off your back if all you’re doing is gathering information as you claim?”

“All because some little goody boy says you’re wrong?”

“Let’s just say he’s got a character reference.”

So, this one knew his mom, recognized his name. He’d accept that. It explained why he’d changed their approach so quickly just because of his claims.

Shion turned around again and his gaze locked with the intense grey eyes watching him carefully. “I’ll help you. I can prove I can see you aren’t an Oni.”

Grey eyes remained fixed on him for what seemed like minutes before he replied, “Then prove it.”

The Devas hesitated for a few seconds, as if they were checking to see if the boy really meant what he’d said, that he was really going along with them freely. But when they stepped forward and he didn’t move to run – though he didn’t relax either – they closed the distance and one put a hand on his shoulder to act as a guide to lead him back into the building. The Deva that had done most of the talking looked at Shion with what looked like suspicion before he followed behind, the third Deva remaining behind with Shion.

He crossed his arms before speaking, “I can’t tell if that was just a great ploy to get him back into custody or if you really do believe he isn’t an Oni. Either way, it was well done. That out of the way, which was it?”

Shion frowned. “He’s not an Oni. I can see it.”

“That’s not usually something a Clairvoyant can see, but I’m willing to put it to the test. Let’s go. I’m assuming you know that you can be given disciplinary action for purposefully misleading Devas on assignment, considering who your mother is.”

Shion nodded and then followed the man back into the building.

* * *

He’d done it. He’d gotten that boy released with nothing on his record saying that he was an Oni.

He didn’t even care that it had meant another hour of testing to make sure he really could identify an Oni, no matter how minor their offense had been to earn them the designation.

It had been something that he could do that had been responsible for helping someone.

It was exactly what he’d wanted by applying to the Devas.

It didn’t even bother him that the boy had left without even giving him his name. He’d just given him an intense look that Shion somewhat suspected was how he always looked, then turned and left without saying anything.

And Shion didn’t expect to ever see him again.

So, no, Shion wasn’t bothered by the lack of, well, anything in return for him sticking his neck out like he had. He just wished he’d at least gotten a name so he could remember the boy as something other than “the boy”. People had names; they deserved to be called by them, even if it was just in memory.

And because he didn’t feel like going into the details of the day that still resulted in him not being accepted as a Deva, he’d kept the details he relayed to his mom short and didn’t even mention what had happened after he was turned down. He might tell her at some point, but right now he just felt like he wanted to process it and be able to move forward in his task of figuring out what he was supposed to do for the next few years.

It was this need to process that had him going outside onto the balcony that stretched out from his room, looking up at what he could see of the stars with there being some lights on near enough to obstruct the sight. He liked going outside like this, it being a common place for him to read or do homework that didn’t need his computer. It was quiet and strangely comforting in just how massive the sky stretched out above him, like a blanket that was always there with minimal changes.

Shion let out a heavy sigh and dropped his head, rubbing his hands over his face roughly before he stood up from the small table set up to the left of his door and turned to head inside; it’d be time for dinner soon and he needed to at least pull off that he wasn’t too bothered by the day so his mom didn’t worry.

There was someone standing in the shadows of the opposite side of the balcony, watching him, and Shion froze in surprise.

Sure, it wasn’t like he was trained to be acutely aware of his surroundings, but he figured he should have noticed someone being so close to him. And he knew no one had been there when he’d come out on the balcony.

He’d just taken a step back, his knee bumping into the chair he’d stood up from when he realized that he knew exactly who it was: the boy he’d helped.

What was he doing here? How’d he know where Shion lived?

“You can stop looking like I’m going to kill you anytime now,” the boy said as he placed one hand on his hip and gave Shion a smirk. “Unless, of course, you really are that good of a liar and convinced the Devas of something you don’t actually believe.”

“What?” Shion replied absently, his brain still catching up to the very unexpected situation he was in now.

“Moron,” the boy said with a shake of his head.

Shion finally shook off his surprise and curiosity took over. “How’d you know where I lived?”

“Looked you up. That’s what happens when you spout your name off in front of strangers.”

Shion flushed though he wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was how easily the boy made it sound like he’d actually done something stupid. It was disconcerting how easily he talked down to Shion, not that Shion was used to that; people had stopped talking to him like he was a kid years ago.

“I didn’t believe you would bother remembering,” Shion responded, feeling his cheeks warm a little at the honesty he was showing.

“Well, then you really know how to pick who you stick your neck out for if that’s all the credit you give me.”

Shion couldn’t help but reach up and tug at the hair behind his ear, giving in to a nervous habit he had. What was he supposed to say to this guy now?

“You really knew I wasn’t an Oni,” the boy spoke after a short silence and Shion looked back at him carefully, not sure where he was going with this. “How?”

Shion had never described what it looked like, not even detailing it today for the Devas as they understood that there were times when abilities were just difficult to put into words and he’d been able to prove it was something he was capable of. But he wanted to be able to tell this boy; again, it felt important.

“Cores glow,” he began, then felt like he probably sounded foolish so he powered through. “The discharge of a person’s core radiates out around them. For most people, it’s like this mist that surrounds the core’s center location. But for an Oni, it’s as if their mindset and actions taint the core and its more like a miasma. It’s as though they poison everything about the person because of the choices they made and the actions they’ve taken using their core. Yours is a mist, somewhat dense with the strength of your core, but still just a mist. No taint of Oni actions.”

The boy looked stunned, then doubtful, and then his expression went flat and Shion couldn’t really tell what he was feeling.

“Well, wouldn’t you be handy to have around in sniffing out Oni,” he eventually said dismissively and Shion flushed again, though now he was irritated.

“Yeah, well, I sort of figured out that’s what it was today,” he admitted in a huff, which he then regretted because he really didn’t want to seem like just some spoiled kid to this boy who was obviously in a much worse position than he was, no matter that he’d been released by the Devas with no suspicion.

But the boy, again, looked shocked. “Meaning?”

“I’d seen the miasma before but I didn’t know what it was. It’s part of being a Clairvoyant that you don’t always know what you’re seeing. But when they were testing my abilities today, I sort of figured out the ones I saw it on were Oni. I’m not sure why I thought that, but once I did I knew it was right. Then, when I looked at you and they called you an Oni, I just couldn’t not say anything.”

“Actually, that’s exactly what you could have done. It’s probably what you should have done. Take my word for it, kid: keep out of Deva and Oni business. It’s not a way to live.”

“Stop calling me ‘kid’. We’re at least the same age!” Shion exclaimed, taking a step forward in his rise of irritation. He wasn’t used to going through so many emotional extremes and he wasn’t sure how to handle it. He was usually so even-tempered and dismissive of so much so it was strange to be so affected.

“Go grab some life experience and then we’ll talk. And this is my experience telling you that you aren’t cut out for dealing with Oni. I’m stuck with it; you’re better off staying in your safe little world.”

The boy grabbed the railing that surrounded the balcony and sprung over it in a controlled twist so he sat on it before turning back toward the ledge as he dropped his feet to the floor on the outside, looking back at Shion.

“Wait!” Shion called as he took another step forward with his hand reaching out for the boy and hoping he didn’t make him leave. But the boy paused in his next motion to leave and grey eyes locked back on Shion, caution apparent in his gaze. “Just…what’s your name?” Shion asked quietly. And when the boy just gave him a flat look and remained silent, Shion couldn’t help but continue, hoping he found the right thing to say. “I just want to know who you are. I’m not planning on doing anything with it. I just want to know.”

“It’s Nezumi,” the boy interjected soon enough and Shion nearly talked over him but managed to catch himself to hear the name.

“Nezumi?” he asked and the boy nodded slightly. He considered it before absently saying, “That doesn’t fit.” It wasn’t really a name, after all, more like a designation and while Shion wasn’t necessarily disappointed since he was given the boy’s name he did wish that it had been something that fit this fascinating person better. “Nezumi” was just so…ordinary.

“Well, thanks for that. But it’s my name, so that’s what you get.”

And as Nezumi looked off to his side to obviously continue leaving Shion took another step forward, then wondered why he had. And Nezumi had looked right back toward him at his movement. They stared at each other for a few seconds before Nezumi smirked.

“Thank you, Nezumi,” Shion said and then his mind rushed to figure out why he’d decided to say that.

Nezumi looked equally baffled and asked, “For what?”

And then Shion knew why he was grateful: “For believing in me when you really had no reason to. There isn’t…not many people have done that.”

“You’re weird,” Nezumi declared before he dropped out of sight and Shion rushed to the edge and watched as Nezumi let go of where he’d caught himself on the ledge of the balcony so he could drop down to the ground with a smooth roll. He stood upright and looked back up to Shion before he gave a slight nod and then turned and walked away from the house.

And that was it. Shion was again left to contemplate another interaction with the strange boy that he had stood up for.

At least he had a name now. And he would remember Nezumi. He probably wouldn’t listen to the advice he’d been given – he was just as compelled now to find some way to be useful against the Oni – but he would remember that Nezumi bothered to say something in the first place.

Two days later, Shion got a call from the Devas: they wanted to retract their refusal of his application and start him immediately in their training programs. And even though he knew the answer he still asked why they’d changed their mind.

A user who could identify someone who had acted to harm others using the abilities of their core – an Oni – just by looking at them wasn’t something the Devas could leave alone. They would accept the responsibility of taking on someone so young.

Shion accepted the offer, accepted the year average of training under the Devas, accepted the minimum of two years the Devas required of anyone who passed the application process to make sure that only people that really should be Devas were but didn’t end up simply providing some free training, accepted that he would be limited as long as they thought he was “too young”.

After all, it was what he wanted, what he felt was the right thing to do.

And he ironically owed it to the one person who had given him a genuine warning against it. Everyone else had just been sparing him, but not Nezumi.

He genuinely believed he would never meet Nezumi again to tell him any of this.


	2. Time Passes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shion's life has passed easily in the three years he's been a Deva. Until...

Shion walked into the café, looking for a familiar face, spotting Safu easily enough despite the reasonable crowd. He started walking toward her and she looked up to see him, her expression lighting up with her excitement.

She stood as he stepped up to the table she’d chosen tucked in the corner and embraced him briefly. He returned the embrace just before she let go and then he smiled warmly at her, happy to see her after nearly six months without.

Both of their schedules were hectic and it was difficult for them to find time to actually meet up. They messaged back and forth semi-regularly when they had something to talk about but actually meeting up like this had become rare.

“It’s so good to see you, Safu,” he said as he slid into the chair facing her, smiling again when he saw that she had already gotten him something to drink. They tried to take turns with who paid, but even that had gone a bit to the wayside because too much time between meetings meant they forgot who’d paid last. So, it just became whoever arrived first.

“I’m glad we were able to meet. It’s been a while,” Safu replied as she settled back into her own seat. “I never would have imagined that you joining the Devas would mean such a drastic change for you that it would become so difficult to meet, even for an hour.”

“Neither did I, honestly. Especially when they put up such an opposition to me joining at the age I did. I thought there would at least be a difference in hours,” he said good-naturedly. He didn’t mind: he needed this as much to feel busy as to feel necessary. He didn’t really do well when he had nothing to keep him occupied. And his days in the first year had been split between training and education so it wasn’t like he’d been working a full-time job when he was thirteen.

He’d just finished the educational programs faster than they’d expected and had decided against officially taking college-level courses. He did some for passing interest, but nothing too serious.

“Well, the Devas only restrict themselves. They can have that luxury when they don’t answer to anyone but the Deva Prominents. Have you met any of the Prominents?”

“They’re sort of busy, Safu. It’s twelve people that are responsible for the operation of all the Devas in the world. They don’t go around making social calls to boost morale; that’s what the Deva Masters are for.”

“I figured your name would be enough to get at least a few of them to arrange a meet-and-greet. At least half of them are the ones that were around when your mom was in.”

Safu was teasing him and he took a drink of his beverage – hot chocolate because Safu knew he only tolerated coffee when he had to – to keep from flushing. He just couldn’t help that reaction when the subject came up of the connection of who his mom was meant to him being a Deva now and she knew it.

Thankfully, she let it go just as easily as she’d brought it up. “You’re over three years in now, right?” she asked.

“Yeah, I just passed three years last month.”

“Does that mean anything is going to change for you?”

“Not really. They unofficially delayed my eligibility for advancement from an Initiate to an Adept because of my age. I’m looking at one more year at least where I am. I don’t mind.” He rushed to finish when he saw Safu building up for an argument. She already hadn’t been pleased that they had, in fact, denied his application openly because of his age. She believed that because there was no restriction stated, it couldn’t be used as a reason to turn him down. That hadn’t ebbed in the time since he’d joined no matter that she wasn’t all that happy that he was a Deva at all.

“You patrol the city, looking for Oni,” she said in a flat tone.

He smiled. “For my day-to-day, yes. It’s no different than what other Devas Initiates do with only a minor alteration in how I identify the Oni. Others have to go through case files and memorize physical appearances; I don’t.”

Safu smiled widely then, “But you do anyway.”

He laughed at that. “Well, yes but that’s more for the sake of being generally informed. Most of the research studies I’m following are in a lull of releasing new data so I have to read something.”

“Did you ever consider a book?”

Shion laughed again and replied with, “Of course, but who has time to read?” He enjoyed the laugh that got from his best friend.

But then Safu’s demeanor changed and she became much more serious. “You’re going to remain with the Devas, then?” she asked and he observed her carefully, even as she kept her eyes down. That was unusual: she preferred to watch people to pick up on their body language, especially him because he was horrible at hiding things from her.

“Of course. I may give them a rough time because of how I started, but it’s not like they aren’t aware of my capabilities and aren’t utilizing all I can offer them.” He hesitated for a moment before continuing, having not told anyone outside the Devas his next point, then decided it wasn’t going to hurt and may get Safu to not be so focused against the Devas and ignoring the part his choices made in his current position. “Besides, it’s not like they are the only ones responsible for any progression I make as a Deva.”

Safu looked up at him then, curious. “What does that mean?”

Shion reached up and tugged nervously at the hair behind his ear: just because he wasn’t opposed to talking about it didn’t mean that he wasn’t embarrassed by this. “Well, I sort of haven’t completed all the required training for advancement to an Adept. It’s part of the reason why they took an unofficial stance, because I’d already provided an official one.”

Now Safu looked suspicious. “How have _you_ not completed something to do with learning? Don’t think I’ve forgotten where your IQ ranks you.”

“Of course you wouldn’t forget: yours is right there with mine.” She just raised an eyebrow at him so he knew she wasn’t in the mood for any deflection, even if he hadn’t been planning on following through with that one. “It just has nothing to do with anything academic. I finished all those within the first few months, user and core laws and the details of just what exactly needs to be done for someone to be classified as an Oni. What I haven’t completed are the hand-to-hand combat courses. I, uh, can’t get comfortable with the idea of fighting. And because one of the main differences between an Initiate and an Adept is that they can be sent alone on assignments, they have to be able to handle a fight if they end up in one. In order to be eligible to advance, I have to pass them.”

Safu was watching him carefully and silently for a few seconds before she suddenly started laughing, Shion blushing at that response. He hadn’t been expecting that. She took in a few deep breaths, trying to regain her composure enough to speak, but she just barely managed. “You’re stuck as an Initiate, stuck at the same level as every single person starting out as a Deva even though you’ve already passed the required two years with the organization, because you won’t complete the fighting courses? I knew you were a pacifist, but don’t you think that’s taking things a bit too far?” Her tone shifted then, going immediately from teasing to asking a genuine question to try and understand everything. “Anyway, I thought they required all Devas to learn how to defend themselves.”

“It’s a difference that isn’t really spelled out to civilians often, but for some dispositions, it isn’t a requirement and merely recommended. But if you don’t pass those courses, you end up where I am: remaining an Initiate. And as a Clairvoyant, someone who is supposed to specialize in gathering information, I am among those where it’s recommended.”

“But Shion, wasn’t the point of you becoming a Deva so that you could be of some help with your abilities?”

Shion smiled at that, even as he was surprised that she had somehow managed to be misled in her assumption. Safu was usually better about that sort of thing. “I am helping. I’m able to identify Oni quickly and accurately in a way that not many other people can. And I’m able to be of some help in developing strategies for assignments because of my memory. I’m not displeased with how things are, Safu. I’m sure I will at some point work out what I need to in order to complete the training, but for now I am where I feel I should be. Besides, if the Deva Masters in charge of the division I’m assigned to believed that it was time I pushed myself to finish, they would have simply told me it was going to happen. We aren’t a military force by a long shot but there is still a measure of them not letting things go if it would mean wasting limited resources.”

“And by ‘resources’ you mean ‘Devas’.” Shion really wasn’t surprised that Safu had worked out that the total number of active Devas in the world was below what was needed and the discrepancy was beginning to become a problem.

But only the Prominents, Masters, and anyone with enough intelligence and deductive reasoning to crunch the numbers and figure it out were aware of that. And the Devas would never make a big deal out of it for the sake of increasing numbers: they believed too strongly in that the people who were Devas needed to want to be Devas for the right reasons. They wouldn’t take more people just to boost numbers and risk the people they took on being wrong for the responsibility of the job.

“I’ve been able to help them not feel the gaps as harshly. As long as I can do that for them, I’m doing more than helping them catch Oni, but keeping the Devas operating at optimum capability and that means they can continue to help people in the ways I just can’t.”

Safu observed him for a short while before she looked content, giving him a warm smile that hadn’t changed in as long as they’d known each other.

“I guess I can’t help but be happy for you, then,” she said honestly and he admired how she could put aside any hesitation he knew she still had to have in order to be happy for him.

But he really didn’t want to spend all this time they had together talking about himself. He knew how things were for him. “What about you? How are things going with you?”

“Not much has changed,” she answered easily before relaxing back into her seat and taking a sip of her drink. “Grandmother is doing well.”

Shion smiled in relief hearing that: the last time they had talked, Safu’s grandmother – who she lived with – had been dealing with some health issues and Safu had been concerned that she would have to go into the hospital for treatment. “I’m so happy to hear that. What about the exchange program you put in for? Did you get accepted to study abroad?”

“I haven’t heard back yet, but I’m not sure if I’m going to go even if I am accepted. Even though she’s doing better, I don’t think I should leave Grandmother here on her own. Her health could decline again at any time and I need to be here to help her.”

“That’s understandable. She doesn’t have anyone else to rely on.” It was unfortunate, but Safu cared deeply about her grandmother, being the only family Safu had left, and it was just like her to be willing to give up what she wanted for the sake of the woman who had raised her after her parents died in a car accident. “Then do you have any alternative options for school? You have to have tested out of everything by now.”

“I have been looking into my options for getting started on college level classes. I’m pretty sure I could get a good start on them while I’m finishing out the last classes I have for high school. The limitations of the school schedule slowed me down a little.” She finished with a grin and Shion had to laugh at how Safu seemed to enjoy seeing how hard she could push herself. For one, she tended to enjoy intimidating other people, and for another, she really did believe in pushing herself or what would be the point of having such intelligence at her disposal.

There were as many things they had in common as they were different and their friendship had always been interesting.

“You know, I am a little disappointed that I haven’t had a core awaken,” Safu suddenly stated, though she still sounded conversational instead of upset.

Shion was a bit surprised to hear that, though. Safu had never indicated that she had wanted to be a user. So, he said as much, “I didn’t know you’d had any interest in having a core awaken.”

She smiled with a light shrug. “What’s not to be intrigued by? It’s something that just over half of the population experience for themselves and we can only make educated guesses as to who will have one awaken. To be on the side of the equation that doesn’t get to know what it’s like to be capable of all these fantastic and horrible things just makes me feel like I’m missing out.”

Shion pulled at his hair nervously again. “We’re all still human, core or no.”

“But if you have a core, you have something that makes you just a little bit _more_. I’d just like to know what that feels like. If you didn’t have a core, you’d feel exactly the same way because you have a scientist’s curiosity.”

That was probably accurate. Shion was curious to a fault and he had likely gotten lucky in that he’d had a core awaken that he could focus his attention on.

“I’m happy you haven’t lost it, though: that belief that a core doesn’t make someone more or less human. You always were very insistent about that.”

“Well, it’s true. We can’t all be star athletes, but not being one doesn’t make someone less than someone who can be.”

He’d never seen the point of people saying otherwise. People were meant to be different. They were meant to be capable of different things. It was foolish to pretend otherwise.

“I’ll admit: I was worried that they would change you, that being a Deva meant that you would have to give up something of yourself that you shouldn’t, that identified you as you. But you’re still just the same as ever. It’s really a relief.”

“If that had been how they were, I would have left. They aren’t perfect, but with their only priority being defending against Oni, it allows for individuality. Besides, do you really think my mom would have given so many years of her life to them if they were morally questionable?”

Safu laughed lightly at that. “Good point. Still, I’m happy it wasn’t the case.”

“Me too.”

That would have been worse than if they hadn’t withdrawn their rejection of his application. At least then it would have only been a matter of time. He could have moved past that much easier than if he wouldn’t have been able to accept the values of the organization itself.

But he’d been wanting to alter the direction of the conversation to pull it away from himself and the Devas. They had plenty else they could be talking about. So, that’s where he brought their attention back to and they managed to more effectively catch up with each other.

He needed to try and make sure they did this more often. He needed something besides his responsibilities to the Devas to have in his day.

* * *

Shion sat at one of the tables just outside the café, watching people pass by to go about their day. He had grabbed a book for cover, but he was beginning to wonder if they were looking in the wrong part of town.

Though “the wrong part of town” wasn’t an unfair assessment. They were close to one of the rougher areas of the city and where he’d found to sit barely felt like it belonged and he wondered if that made him stick out and a book might actually be the wrong cover. It was possible, but he hadn’t noticed anyone giving him anything more than a passing glance.

He was working, trying to find an Oni that had been making the rounds in the area, a Projector that had grown proficient enough in the hallucinations they caused in other people that three had died. And all the people affected had been found in this area, so they were stuck investigating blind.

It was exactly the type of assignment they brought Shion in for. And because the assignment was only for him to identify the Oni, not to confront him, Shion was allowed to do it mostly on his own. He didn’t need to have a second Deva directly with him, his fellow Deva making a short patrol of the blocks surrounding him as a loose shadow, close enough to help out if needed but not standing over him like a monitor.

And Shion was generally a patient person, but he’d been moving from one spot to the next for approaching eight hours and even he had his limits. Not to mention that he’d been using his Clairvoyance for most of that time and his eyes were starting to become light sensitive to go along with the headache he already had.

That was the downside to his disposition: his eyes gave out long before he reached the limit of his core’s power. And if the light sensitivity got too much worse, he wouldn’t be able to make out the cores clearly enough to make a positive ID.

He’d wanted to finish today with _something_ to add to the case, but it was looking grim.

He went back to absently watching the crowds passing, taking on the air of being lost in thought. It would do him no good to give up before he was done for the day. And if he didn’t find anything today, he would be back tomorrow trying again. There had been a minimum of five days between the victims – likely what the Oni needed to replenish his core’s power – and the latest body had been recovered the day before yesterday.

Unfortunately, it seemed as though the victims were being selected at random so they couldn’t even try and get a head start on the Oni that way.

But considering all a Projector had to do to plant strong hallucinations in someone’s mind was touch them, it made sense that there wasn’t much effort put into choosing who he would attack.

Dispositions like that made Shion extremely uncomfortable.

His phone vibrated in his pocket and he pulled it out to see and incoming call from the Deva Adept he reported to.

He stood from the table, guessing what was going to be said so he prepared to leave, answering the call as he moved.

“Hello?” he said in greeting, sounding as casual as he could.

“Wrap up for the day. I’ll contact your shadow and tell him. We’ll get back to it tomorrow,” Shohei’s calm voice declared.

“I understand. That’s unfortunate,” Shion responded as he dropped some extra money onto the table, securing it under the cup that had been sitting to his side for a while now.

“No point continuing past your comfort. Your core may recover its strength overnight, but you’ve had headaches last for two days from straining yourself. The investigation can’t come to a halt because you exert yourself.”

“I know. I was just hoping for something different.”

“I’m aware. Stop by the facility and mark where you spent time observing, then you’re done for the day.”

“Aright. Bye.” Shion hung up his phone and slid it into his jacket pocket with a sigh. The best thing for him to do would be exactly as Shohei had said. He needed to collect himself and prepare himself for a more focused approach tomorrow.

He grabbed his book and headed toward the sidewalk as he pulled his attention from his core so it wasn’t dominating his vision as much. He always saw something, the level of connection he had with his core strong enough that there was never a time when there wasn’t a touch of influence in his peripherals, but he could at least bring it to a minimal level for his eyes and head to recover.

What could he do to increase his chances of finding the Oni? The area he was observing was just the central zone where all the victims had been found so it was possible that they weren’t actually looking in the right spot. Shion hadn’t had a chance to look over all the intel they’d been sent, just being given the details of the deaths and the area he’d be working before he had to start searching. Maybe if he looked over all the intel himself, he could find something they hadn’t. He didn’t doubt the capabilities of the other Devas assigned to the division he worked in, but sometimes he could just process better than them. And the other Devas knew that as well, usually coming to him to look over intel even when he wasn’t directly involved in an investigation.

He came to a crosswalk and stopped, a few other people standing around him to wait for the light to change as well. He gave a cursory glance around out of habit, the training he’d done with the Devas deeply ingraining the need to be aware of his surroundings, to at least get a glimpse around him.

Though, to be honest, he only remembered about two-thirds of the time. He wasn’t exactly proficient at paying attention when he wasn’t thinking about it. He was better when it was his job, but on his own time it was the first thing to slip.

The light changed and he followed the flow of the crowd to cross the street and then turned left toward the train station. It would take him at least half an hour to get to the building the Deva division worked out of and then he’d be putting in at least another few hours going through everything to get ready for tomorrow. That would put him home at around eight.

He’d miss dinner and his mom would have long closed up the bakery and would be relaxing for the evening. That was a shame: he’d gotten home really late the night before and had been planning on just catching up with her, letting her know he’d managed to meet with Safu yesterday. Oh well, they both had jobs that required a lot of time and devotion so there were times when they didn’t get the chance to sit down and talk like they could when he was younger.

Maybe tomorrow things would improve and he could get in some good time with her. Hell, maybe she could even give him some help with this assignment. She’d been through way more training than he’d been as a Deva, no matter how many years ago it had been. That knowledge didn’t just disappear because she wasn’t a Deva anymore.

He moved to step around a small group of teenagers talking excitedly, the movement bringing him closer to the line of buildings to his right. He only made it a few more steps, but there was suddenly a hand on his bicep and he was yanked off the sidewalk and into an alleyway. He expected to be let go but was pulled further into the alley and he started yanking at the grip. He felt the hold shift just before he was tossed forward and he barely put his hands up in time to keep from running his face into the side of a building.

Before he could turn around, a forearm was being pressed against the back of his neck, holding him against the wall and he felt another hand feeling along his jacket and pants, searching him.

And because he’d been ready for the possibility of needing to prove his position, he did have his Deva identification on him.

Which the person found a few moments later and he pulled it out of where Shion had it in a shirt pocket where he could feel it but wasn’t obvious to others.

“Are you shitting me? A fucking Deva?”

It was a man speaking in English, definitely an adult from the depth of his voice. And the angle he was pushing into Shion, he was reasonably taller, likely over a head taller than Shion though it didn’t feel like he had much strength behind him. The only contact he had with Shion was his arm and it didn’t feel like there was much pressure to indicate a huge build or a lot of weight behind him.

Shion closed his eyes, refocusing his attention to the slow pulsing of his core in the right hemisphere of his brain, near his temple. When he opened his eyes again, he could see just a little more detail in the wall in front of him to indicate that he’d tapped into his abilities.

It also felt like needles were stabbing into his brain around his core from the return of the strain on himself. He wouldn’t need to be tapped in for long, though. He just needed to turn enough to get a look at the man and his core so they had something to work with.

“Must be new at the job to not be able to take me out,” the man grumbled. “Or that’s not what you’re here for.”

Shion gasped in shock as he was turned around and pushed back against the wall, this time a hand coming up to press against his throat in a threatening manner.

He took the opportunity to take in what he could.

Mid-twenties, so possibly a later awakening of his core to only now be using it to hurt others. Shaved head, green eyes, easily six feet tall, slim build that had a hint of emaciation, and the darkened cloud of a core just to the right of his forehead.

Well, the Oni had found him instead and now he wasn’t sure how he was supposed to handle this. He wasn’t sure if the Deva shadowing him was still around so he didn’t want to develop any sort of strategy that depended on an unknown factor like that.

The man leaned in close and the grip on Shion’s neck tightened, his airway becoming restricted.

“Leave me the fuck alone,” he commanded and then Shion saw the pulse of the man’s core before he felt the hand on his neck burn. It felt like his skin was on fire and he swore he could smell the burning of skin and clothes.

The hand released him and he fell forward as the sensation continued to assault his senses. He fell to his knees, his hands reaching up to touch his neck only to feel as though they were also burning, like a fire had spread.

He couldn’t breathe, smoke was choking him, his hands and neck were scorching.

Shion inhaled anyway, ignored the burn because he needed to breathe or he’d pass out.

The Oni was a Projector. Projectors instilled hallucinations of perception on others through physical touch. The Projector had planted the thought that he was burning. His body would only act like it was burning if he believed it.

He gasped in another breath, the hallucination not breaking so he started the whole thought process all over again.

He was not on fire. There was no fire. There was no fire. There was no fire.

He took in another breath, fighting the urge to cough at how thick the smoke felt.

There was no fire. He could breathe. There was no fire.

He was barely aware of a hand pressing against his forehead and he gasped, concerned that the Oni hadn’t left and he was about to enforce the illusion.

“There’s nothing wrong with you,” a deep, smooth voice that Shion vaguely recognized called to him and the strain on Shion’s body dispelled immediately, making him slump forward as he was no longer struggling with himself.

He took in one deep breath after another, trying to get his body to recover quickly from the stress it had been under so he wasn’t vulnerable.

Once he felt a little more in control, he opened his eyes, his forehead resting against his forearms, and then he sat up to see who was with him.

Then he became convinced that the illusion was still going, that his perception was still impaired. After all, how was he supposed to believe what he saw now was any more real?

“Nezumi?” he gasped.


	3. The Same

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shion isn't quite sure how to handle Nezumi after so long and he's the only one confident in his decisions...

“What are you doing here?” Shion had to ask as he looked up into grey eyes he’d never forgotten, trying to convince himself that the hallucination had to have passed, that this was really what he was seeing.

Because Projectors had to know what images and sensations to plant. They couldn’t just give something vague like “see someone you haven’t laid eyes on for three years that you’ve never been able to forget despite only having seen met him twice” and have it work.

Thankfully. Thinking he’d been burning alive was harsh enough without the possibility of having his emotions toyed with on top of it.

So, the only possibility could be that Nezumi was _really_ here, sitting in front of him after negating the hallucination. Which Shion wasn’t exactly sure how he’d done that. He’d never found out for sure what Nezumi’s dispositions were so he didn’t know if it was an ability unique to Nezumi or something common to either of his dispositions.

“Did that guy not say you were a Deva? How could Devas have such a reputation and not be able to handle a little illusion?” Nezumi responded and Shion had to put effort into focusing himself, still recovering somewhat from the mental strain of working beyond the illusion himself.

Shion frowned at that. “I was starting to breathe easier. The illusion was breaking. It’s not something that happens immediately and as long as I managed to keep breathing, I would be alright. What are you doing here, Nezumi?” Shion repeated.

Three years since last seeing him and the guy just shows up when Shion is confronted by an Oni wasn’t something he could just let slide without asking questions.

“Hey, this is more my part of town than yours. What the hell is wrong with you taking on some guy you obviously had no chance against, you airhead?” Nezumi looked over his shoulder toward the street and Shion wondered if he was checking for the Oni returning. It sure looked like that sort of caution.

Shion sat up a little straighter, finally feeling like he was recovering from the Projector’s illusion. His head was really killing him now and he’d likely have to get checked for damage caused by his mind being convinced, if only temporarily, that he’d been breathing smoke.

“Step away from him!” a familiar voice called out from the opposite end of the alley leading out onto the next street. It was the Deva who had been Shion’s shadow.

“Damnit. Are you kidding me?” Nezumi muttered and Shion saw him tense and shift his position in what was obviously getting ready to attack: he didn’t need to know how to fight to recognize motions he’d seen other Devas do plenty of times.

Shion shot to his feet, his vision blurring a little around the edges and his balance wavering for a second before he recovered his equilibrium enough to remain on his feet. He stepped between Nezumi and his shadow.

Well, this was familiar, he thought ruefully.

“He’s not a threat. I know him,” he said placatingly to the Deva, who frowned at him, his voice rough as he spoke louder.

“Shion,” the Deva, Yamase, replied, sounding frustrated. “Your vital monitor went crazy. Don’t tell me nothing happened.” Yamase had worked many times as his shadow before and was familiar with Shion, knew that he tended to give priority to things that others didn’t.

Shion smiled back and rubbed his hand along his neck nervously. “I never said nothing happened, he just wasn’t the one to do it. Actually, he helped. But I found the Oni.” He ignored the scoff from behind him.

Yamase looked relieved at that, then thoughtful, and then he pinched the bridge of his nose. “It wasn’t so much that you found him as it was that he confronted you, was it?”

“Happen often?” Nezumi questioned in a low voice from behind him and Shion felt himself flush.

“Not often, no. I’m usually better about not getting spotted and singled out like this,” he replied quietly. It was the truth, though he felt like he shouldn’t mention that he’d nearly been attacked multiple times before just by being the closest one to the Oni when the fight started. Yamase was just accustomed to Shion’s method of working when it came to identifying and tracking Oni.

“Please tell me you got a description at least?” Yamase practically pleaded.

“Yes, I got a clear look at him,” Shion placated.

“Good, we don’t need to go back to Shohei and tell him you got attacked by an Oni and not have any progress to show for it. He’s already frustrated with you as it is.” Yamase let out a sigh and took a few steps closer to Shion. “Your vitals evened out, but are you okay? We are talking about a Projector here and this one has been doing people a lot of harm.”

“Yes, I’m alright. I’ll get checked once I’ve made my report to make sure but I wasn’t under the influence of the illusion for long. He’s very talented, though. The illusion endured a lot of fighting it.”

“I honestly hope knowing he’s been targeted by Devas is enough to get him to stop experimenting.”

Shion nodded agreement. He’d rather have the Projector never use his abilities again for fear of being identified and caught than hurt anyone else. But for many, once they used their cores to earn the moniker of Oni, it practically became a compulsion for them to continue gaining more power and using it against others.

Yamase nodded over Shion’s shoulder toward Nezumi. “Do you want to take his statement here or back at the office?”

“I’ll take care of it and meet you back there,” Shion hedged. He didn’t feel like he should just decide for Nezumi, especially considering the circumstances he’d met Nezumi under. He couldn’t imagine being accused of being an Oni left many reasons to want to be involved with the Devas again. Yamase didn’t look too pleased by that, though, so Shion continued. “I’ve still got my vital monitor on. You’ll know if something happens.” Shion held up his left hand to display the wristband that looked like a small watch. While on assignment, the bands were connected between all Devas working the mission while they were watched back at the Deva operations building as well. They did what they could to look out for each other.

“Fine, just don’t get too caught up in anything that isn’t taking his statement. If I run into Shohei, I’ll tell him you’ll be there soon.”

“Thanks, Yamase. I’ll see you there.”

Yamase walked past Shion, heading toward the street he’d been pulled off of, and he gave Nezumi a careful look as he passed. Nezumi just stared right back and Shion was pretty sure he was the more intimidating of the two.

Actually, his impression was that Nezumi was more than likely the more dangerous of them. And Yamase was a Wraith, able to cut a user off from their core and make them unable to use any abilities for as long as twelve hours in addition to being a fully trained Deva so he knew how to fight. Yet, he still seemed like he was the mere civilian rather than a Deva.

But Yamase kept walking and the staring between the two stopped easily enough. Then he turned the corner onto the street and Shion was left alone with Nezumi.

That was when he realized that he truly had no inkling of what he wanted to say. His mind was blank and that didn’t happen very often. He only knew that he would have to get beyond that quickly or Nezumi would leave and he doubted he was lucky enough to see him again if there was nothing to hold them together.

“You know, you Devas aren’t all you’re cracked up to be,” Nezumi suddenly said and Shion latched on to him speaking first with relief. That meant that Nezumi wasn’t ready to walk away. Because Shion knew from their first parting that if Nezumi wanted to leave, he would without a glance back. “You get your ass handed to you and the guy working with you doesn’t even show up until it would have been too late? Then, he gets on your case making sure you got something to bring back?”

“As I told Yamase, it just took a little more work to get beyond the Projector’s illusion than I believed it would. Their illusion requires the victim to believe in it and he has simply been practicing his proficiency in affecting multiple senses that are more influential to the brain believing the illusion. But if you tell yourself something often enough, you do come to believe it. And we’d been called off from looking for the Projector and we haven’t been searching for him long.”

“Right, you’re a talker. Forgot about that.”

Shion frowned but moved on regardless. “Because of your involvement, I am required to take a statement from you about what happened. We can do it here quickly if you don’t want to come with me to the office.”

“I saw you at the café, recognized you because you look practically the same as you did three years ago. Hell, you’re only barely taller.” Shion wanted to protest the jibes but he didn’t want to interrupt Nezumi talking so he remained silent as the other teen pressed on. “I saw you leave, walked past the alley a little while after you would have passed it and saw you nearly unconscious on the ground. All I did was yell at you to snap you out of it. There, statement complete. Job well done there, almighty Deva Shion.”

Shion could let it go, could just accept that as Nezumi’s statement – it was sufficient since Nezumi’s claim didn’t include seeing or coming in contact with the Oni – and they would part ways again. But Shion hadn’t been able to just allow Nezumi to pass by him three years ago and he didn’t feel any different now.

And he knew for sure one inaccuracy in Nezumi’s recounting. “No, it’s not,” he declared.

Nezumi crossed his arms and gave Shion an even look. “No, what’s not?” he replied.

“It’s not all you did. It wasn’t much, but there was a pulse of a core’s power passed into me when you touched my head. You used a core to dispel the illusion. What did you do?”

Now, Nezumi smirked at him. “A magician never reveals his secrets.”

Shion just maintained eye contact. “You’re not a magician,” he countered.

“How do you know? I don’t recall you ever figuring out my dispositions.”

“Because there is no disposition given the name ‘Magician’.”

“Missed opportunity if you ask me. I mean, there are plenty of people who still call having a core ‘magic’. Why not call us all what we are?”

“Nezumi…” Shion was doubting that he’d get any more details out of him. He was caught between not wanting to press Nezumi so much that he left with there being nothing more to connect them and wanting to satiate his curiosity of what he’d done to help release the illusion. “I’m just asking. This isn’t about taking a statement.”

Nezumi stared at him for another few seconds before shaking his head with a chuckle. “You’re weird. You need to understand that.”

“If you aren’t going to answer that, then at least tell me why you helped me.”

Nezumi was still smirking as he replied, “Well, if I’d known that it would come along with a round of twenty questions, I would have decided it wasn’t worth the trouble.” Instead of pressing further right away, Shion just maintained eye contact with Nezumi, his persistence coming forward in a manner it didn’t usually simply because it wasn’t often necessary and he was a patient person. Perhaps he needed to take this approach instead of letting his anxiety of Nezumi walking away determine his actions.

He was reacting as strongly to the strange impulses being around Nezumi appeared to invoke as he had three years ago and he didn’t understand what it was about the other teen that caused such things in him. It wasn’t something he necessarily opposed, but he preferred to understand.

“I thought you were supposed to be something smart. You’re sure not giving the impression that you learn a lesson. It makes absolutely no difference if you know what I did, for me to tell you exactly what my dispositions and abilities are.”

“Maybe not, but I’d still like to know. It doesn’t hurt to ask.”

“Like you would know. You’ve never been asked, have you?”

“Asked what?”

“Questions you don’t want to answer. Bet you’ve never run into one of those in your entire life, you being so willing to just give information and get it.”

“What does it matter if I haven’t? It’s not as though I’m hurting you by asking. If you don’t want to answer, just say so instead of lashing out at me or just avoiding the subject. It’s not as though I know you.”

“Huh, he does have some bite after all. I was beginning to think I’d misremembered that.”

Shion let out a sigh and pinched at the bridge of his nose, his exhaustion of using his core all day and enduring the illusion of the Projector taking its toll on him. He needed to get back to the office soon, if nothing else than to see the Regen stationed there so they could help relieve some of the pressure of the headache.

“Very well. I’ll only ask for confirmation that you didn’t actually see the Oni.”

There was a short pause but Shion didn’t look back over toward Nezumi, not wanting to see his intense expression any longer now. He hadn’t accomplished anything with the other teen and that was disappointing.

He didn’t handle disappointment well, he knew, and it was exacerbated by his current condition being weakened.

“Nah, I didn’t see the guy. He either bailed in the opposite direction than I came from or he’d hit you and left long enough before I arrived to not get caught. And you know people tend to clear out when there’s any sign of a fight between users.”

“We’d rather that than innocent bystanders getting injured because they became caught up in a fight that had nothing to do with them. As long as someone calls in the incident so Devas or the User Enforcement Agency can respond, they should leave.”

“Are all you Devas such bleeding hearts?”

Shion finally looked back toward Nezumi, seeing that his expression was unreadable, as if to prove to Shion there was no point in pressing any further as he would gain nothing. “Our job is to protect people against Oni. I would assume it would be obvious that we care about the safety of noncombatants. Now, as I have fulfilled my duties here in gathering your statement, I really do need to get back. I have work to do.”

He moved to step past Nezumi but was stopped quickly enough as his arm was grabbed again, though this hold wasn’t nearly as violent as the Oni’s had been. It was still secure, though, and insistent.

“What are you doing about the Oni?” he asked.

Shion frowned, slightly confused. “We are going to attempt to locate him and seal his core before he is sent to a detention center since he’s killed people.”

“I didn’t say the Devas. I said you. What are _you_ going to do?”

Shion was still confused. He didn’t understand why Nezumi would ask. “Continue the assignment,” he replied haltingly. “What else would I do? I saw the Oni. I can identify him correctly without only looking the core of an Oni. He was speaking English, the accent sounded like he was from America, so it’ll be much more difficult to identify him with my description alone.”

He saw a flash of irritation before Nezumi let him go and stepped away, shoving his hands into his jacket pocket as he schooled his features back to nonchalance. “Well, then, I guess I’ll be looking for your name in the obituaries. Thanks for putting my effort of saving your ass to good use.”

“It’s my responsibility. There isn’t much my disposition makes me capable of, so I need to do the things it does allow me.” Shion turned completely toward Nezumi and offered him a light bow. “I am glad to have seen you again, Nezumi. I didn’t expect it would happen. And thank you for helping me today. If there is anything more you have to add to your statement, you are welcome to contact the Devas and they will be happy to take all the details.”

“So happy to see me again that you’re looking for the first chance to dump me off on someone else.”

Shion stood up straight from his bow and decided Nezumi might just not stop teasing him. He took a chance and let it slide. Then he took another chance and asked, “Could I see you again?”

Nezumi actually looked surprised at that. “Always a chance, I guess,” he replied noncommittally but it wasn’t a complete denial and that was honestly more than Shion had expected.

And then Shion had to do just about the last thing he _wanted_ to: he turned and walked away, heading back toward the street and toward his responsibilities that had nothing to do with a person who with three meetings is as many years was just as captivating to Shion.

* * *

Shion hit the right facing arrow key to progress to the next page of displayed profiles, hoping that he would luck out and happen across the Projector’s face showing up on the list of people who recently entered the city who were registered users.

It truly would be luck as Projectors weren’t one of the rare dispositions required to register. And while there was documentation for people to include in their passports that declared themselves users, they didn’t have to specify their disposition.

It was times like this that Shion wished there were still higher requirements for people at least saying they had a core. They didn’t need to go back to every user declaring their disposition – they definitely didn’t need to return to people not using their disposition for their work to be sealed as it had been at the beginning of the last century – but at least giving people incentive to declare if they were a user or not would be helpful. It didn’t hinder their right to privacy, as those who had pressed to remove the requirements had declared, as it did no more to separate them than giving their birthdate or gender or ethnicity.

Shion had spent the past two hours lost in profiles and he admitted that he should probably bring it to a close for the night before he got even more frustrated.

He shouldn’t have even started in on this tonight. The Regen had recommended he go home immediately after she’d healed up some of the swelling of his head from the stress of using his core and the pressure of the illusion and his larynx from the damage done by breathing while his brain told his body there was smoke to be inhaled.

The Projector was good, really good, Shion was reminded as he’d left the infirmary and headed for his desk instead of gathering his belongings to go home as suggested. It only made him more determined to see the assignment through to completion.

He’d filed his report for the day quickly enough and then had only hesitated for about a minute before logging into the records shared with Devas and the U.E.A. of people coming into the country with cores.

He didn’t have enough figured out to call it a day and without the headache to give him reason to back out, he’d continued working. He needed to get them closer to settling this assignment, to securing and sealing this Oni before anyone else died.

There was a knock at his door and he turned around to see Shohei standing at the open door, his arms crossed and looking as stern as ever.

Shohei Kazuki was the Lead Senior ranked Deva in the division. That meant that he had operational command over all the Devas assigned to that division. He reported directly to the Deva Master, who oversaw all the divisions in the region, who reported to the Deva Prominents. And the Prominents answered to no one, officially.

Shion was intelligent enough to understand that the Prominents, being the ones in charge of all Devas in the world through constantly reviewing operations and policies and procedures and being the only ones who could make changes to the organization, unofficially answered to the world when Devas didn’t do their sole task of protecting against Oni efficiently enough. The Prominents answered to everyone, no matter how indirectly.

But Shohei had been a Deva for about twelve years and had an impressive record for assignments. His leadership had continued that record and the division ran smoothly and efficiently because of it. Shohei was intelligent, just in a different manner than Shion: less book smart and more adaptive than Shion. And he was an intense person as well. He was relatively tall, with light brown hair and deep blue eyes. And he wasn’t necessarily physically intimidating, in fact he was of an average, healthy build, but as a Dragon – one who controlled specific elements by coming in contact with them – of both fire and earth, he was very formidable. And he had the power and command over his abilities to be a threat to most he came up against. He had certainly earned his position through action.

He also didn’t believe that Shion should remain a Deva as long as he refused to complete the required trainings for advancement. To Shohei, if you weren’t advancing in a trackable manner, you became a liability to the Devas. But the Deva Master over Shohei was of a different opinion and so there was nothing he could do about Shion’s position.

Shion stood from his desk and turned to face Shohei completely, not wanting to appear rude. Shohei took a step into Shion’s office – he had his own because of the amount of research and planning he did with assignments – and shut the door behind him.

“Can I help you?” Shion asked. “Was there something wrong with the report I submitted?”

Shohei raised an eyebrow at him then let out a sigh. “No, of course there wasn’t anything wrong with your report. I’m here to discuss the circumstances surrounding the events detailed in your report.” Shohei tended to not take a direct approach, no matter who he was speaking with. It irritated most people and Shion at times didn’t appreciate it.

“What, specifically? There was much covered in the report.”

“I have multiple points I wish to make. I’ll begin with your decision to take the civilian’s statement in the alley and not bring him back here to be evaluated.”

“Is my observation and evaluation of him not enough? I had thought that, considering my abilities, I can make the determination to not investigate a civilian witness, that if I declare them to be clear of suspicion it is to be accepted officially and their records will reflect that at the time they are not suspect.”

Shohei frowned at that reminder: it was the one aspect to Shion’s very low position in the Devas that was a reflection of his rare ability within a common disposition. It was further enforced in that Shion had never been wrong in declaring someone an Oni or not. Shion suspected that Shohei didn’t like that an Initiate could have a declaration hold the same authority as a Master. It didn’t match his expectations.

“And your vision may not be influenced by bias based on past history with this particular civilian?”

“Of course not. My Clairvoyance has nothing to do with my opinion of anyone, regardless of who they are and if I have any prior connection to them. I see the results of their actions, as that is what makes someone an Oni. Are my abilities in question?”

_Had_ he messed up? He’d been given such trust – had earned it – that he had acted under the assumption that he wasn’t beyond his limits.

Shohei hesitated just slightly in answering and that didn’t help Shion to relax. “It is not so much that your abilities are in question, just that I am not as convinced that you are fulfilling your duties to the best of your abilities because of who the civilian is.”

It wasn’t surprising that Shohei would look into Nezumi’s record and see the report of Shion’s involvement. Shion wasn’t allowed to see that report, no matter his position, so he was still unable to learn anything more of Nezumi. But was there something in there that made them both suspect?

“He spoke to you? Before Yamase came into the alley?”

“Yes, of course. As I recorded in my report, he yelled at me to break the illusion. I was already working on breaking through and I believe it simply gave me something external and not connected to myself to focus on that allowed me to break free.”

“What did he say?”

Shion hesitated, thinking back to when Nezumi had first shown up to recall what he’d said. “He said there was nothing wrong with me. It was similar to what I was telling myself to break the illusion so it wasn’t a stretch to believe him.”

“And you still hold conviction that he is not an Oni?”

Shion frowned, at last reaching the point where he was becoming irritated with the Deva Senior. He felt this was unnecessary questioning. “Yes, I’m confident that he is not an Oni. I have never seen anything in either of his cores that would indicate that he has taken actions that would make him an Oni. Is there something I should know about him that has been kept from me?”

“No, you are aware of all that is necessary. Now, there is also the matter of you being attacked by the Projector to begin with. We can’t allow you to take on assignments if you can’t remain from danger of being attacked. Regardless of whether or not I had already called for you and Yamase to return, you should not have been so vulnerable at any point.”

“I had no reason to believe I was in any danger of being singled out by the Oni. I hadn’t done anything through the day that I haven’t done on previous assignments. I stayed close to areas that were more heavily populated, that a lot of people passed through. I did nothing to attract attention to myself. I’m not sure how he identified me as someone to suspect but you know as well as I do that I am one of the few working at this division that has the mental fortitude to be able to even attempt to break a Projector’s illusion, especially one as strong as this one is.”

“I accept that. However, I also see no reason why I should continue to put you at risk. You have identified the Oni, given a description, and now it is time for those qualified to face against him to do so. Your continued involvement isn’t necessary.”

Shion felt a rush of anger and was about to refute Shohei before his brain caught up and he managed to get a handle on himself. He needed to continue to approach this intelligently and logically. If his logic could be sounder than Shohei’s, he would convince him to keep him assigned to tracking the Projector. He’d done it before, he could do it again.

He had the absent thought that perhaps _that_ was why Shohei didn’t really like him: he was nearly ten years younger than Shohei and he could present a better argument faster. Perhaps Shohei just didn’t like to lose to him and he had before.

“Not to be contradictory, but I haven’t identified the Oni. I have only confirmed that a Projector in that area has taken actions against others to earn being declared an Oni. I have a general description of him but was not able to identify him and we have no way of tracking his movements now. I remain the best person to continue searching for him.”

Shohei let out a heavy sigh and reached up to press his fingers against his temple. “Shion, do you have a death wish or something?”

“Excuse me?” Shion wasn’t expecting that and he lost some of his focus as he wondered why Shohei would ask him that.

“You’re smart enough that our psychological evaluations are somewhat moot in determining if your thought processes and intentions in being here aren’t complimentary toward the goals of the Devas. But you have been with us for three years, choosing to remain an Initiate by not completing your training modules, and yet you are being approved for assignments that should never be given to someone who won’t learn to defend themselves. As a Clairvoyant, you should be reviewing applications and conducting power evaluations. Instead, you are working in the field where you will come into contact with Oni. An that is where you have worked to be. So, I’m curious, what are your intentions in being a Deva? Why move toward a place where you will be confronting Oni while you refuse to learn how to survive a confrontation?”

Shion couldn’t give an immediate answer, not because he didn’t know but because he just wasn’t sure about how to put it in a manner that Shohei would accept.

“If it’s because of your mother, that does you no good,” Shohei added and that brought back Shion’s frustration.

“My decision to apply to the Devas has never been about my mom. It was always my choice, what I wanted for myself. I have only wanted to help people in whatever manner I can and I know I can still be of benefit to the Devas, even if I don’t advance in rank. The value of a person is not in how high up the ranks they can advance; that is only a means of measurement that truthfully tells you nothing of what they are capable of.”

His response had been as emotional as he could have gotten about it. He just couldn’t stand it when people thought the only reason he could be a Deva was because of his mother. It may have been one of the reasons he’d had the idea, but it had been what he wanted for himself. Why was that so difficult for people to accept?

“I’ll accept a difference of opinion on that last point. However, I am still deeply concerned over your place here in the Devas. I won’t be the one to answer to anyone for why you ended up dead on assignment because you were somewhere you shouldn’t be allowed.”

“If I couldn’t handle it, I wouldn’t be there. I’m fully aware that I am of no use if I’m dead.”

Shohei let out another sigh and he suddenly looked years older, more tired, more human than he usually gave off. As a Dragon with power over the elements, he so often felt like a force of nature on his own. But right now, Shion swore he could see the weight of the decisions the man was responsible for.

And Shion was one of those decisions, those responsibilities.

“Go home, Shion,” Shohei declared. “We’ll start a little later tomorrow and you will have someone closer to you as well as Yamase retaining the role of shadowing you. Stop this Oni before he kills anyone else.”

“I will.”

Shion sounded certain, and he mostly was. But there was still that feeling rising in the back of his mind that if he didn’t handle this with complete precision, Shohei’s concerns would not be unfounded. The Projector could possibly kill Shion if he found the right illusion to plant.

Shion would have to be careful if he wanted to prove himself.


	4. Another One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tracking the Projector leads to more than Shion expected...

Well, Shion had to appreciate the manner in which Shohei ended up winning out the discussion from the previous night: Masanobu Asaka got along as well with Shion about as well as Shohei did.

Asaka had only just advanced to an Adept rank a few months ago, the young man about as on track within the Devas progression as one could possibly be. He was a good student and a good Deva, able to adapt to many different situations quickly and efficiently. And while he tended to be a straightforward person to the point of being harsh, he did care enough about people that he managed to pull off selfless acts every once in a while. He was one of those people that things just seemed to come easily to – like Shohei – and it showed in his attitude, which was where Shion ran into difficulty in getting along with him.

But, he was a Glyph. He could make practically anything he wanted happen if he had enough strength and the corresponding symbol to channel his core’s power into creating the reaction. And he had spent the years since his core had awakened when he was thirteen learning symbols and becoming frighteningly proficient in using his abilities. And his specialty was in tracking and interacting with cores. He was certainly the best person for the assignment, considering where they stood with it, but that didn’t require Shion to be pleased with it.

Since Shion hadn’t been able to find anyone on the database of users coming into the country, he had settled for putting together a composite that should have been good enough for Yamase or Asaka to recognize the Oni if they saw him.

Shohei had also told him that because he knew what he looked like that he needed to avoid using his Clairvoyance to try and locate him. It was something Shion was mostly going to ignore since an Oni was a lot easier for him to pick out of a crowd than particular facial features. He actually wasn’t very good at noticing subtle features that made it easy to distinguish between people, so he would rely on what was more reliable.

Yamase’s roll of the eyes once he’d made eye contact with Shion after Shohei had left the room meant he was likely aware of exactly what Shion intended to do. But Yamase also knew better than to try and make a big deal out of it and would just let Shion do what he pleased with his own core.

When Shion had once asked why Yamase didn’t tell Shohei when he did something that was so against what he wanted, Yamase had shrugged and replied, “I don’t have the IQ or confidence to feel right arguing with you. I figure with all the smarts you have, something must mean you know what you’re doing and who am I to say you’re wrong?” He’d been making light of it, but Shion still felt like he’d been partially serious, though he could never tell about what part.

He really wished Asaka could be the one shadowing while he and Yamase stuck together. But that wouldn’t be something he would work around in this particular assignment, not when he was already pushing Shohei’s patience.

So, the three of them left the Deva’s office and headed back to the area of the city Shion had been searching the day before. Keeping in mind that the Oni had picked Shion out of a crowd when he hadn’t done anything to draw attention to himself – and he didn’t think there was anything about his features that made him stand out – he had grabbed a cap that should give him at least some cover. And being with someone else should help him blend in just a little more.

It would have been even better for someone he was comfortable holding a conversation with, though, since he and Asaka had so far only walked side-by-side in silence since getting off the train. If only he could have requested for Safu to be allowed to accompany him, that would have been more than sufficient. He would have been comfortable. They looked even more like they belonged in each other’s company than he and Asaka. And Safu was skilled enough in watching body language and reading people that she could probably pick an Oni out of a crowd just as well as he did.

Shion held in a sigh as he reminded himself that he really needed to let it go and focus on what he was doing rather on what he would prefer to be different.

He and Asaka were walking through the streets closer to apartment complexes in the area, Shion thinking that he’d avoided that area yesterday and there was a lot of people around that they should have a better time of blending in to a crowd.

And if he was wrong, he really needed to reevaluate his process of tracking Oni through his understanding of basic human behavior while in a city and developing abilities to kill people with. Because he was supposedly better than this.

They were about two hours in of making wide circles of buildings, making sure to vary their course, pausing every once in a while where they could get out of the crowd and watch from a stationary position without being exposed.

At least Asaka was on the patient side and wasn’t making things worse by getting frustrated. He remained calm, practically seeming disinterested, even as they made their fourth lap around one of the more run-down buildings.

There was a small park across the street from the line of buildings and Shion headed for it, wanting to take their next short break out in the open instead of in a nearby alley. Asaka let him lead the way and Shion found a bench he could sit at that wasn’t right next to the road so there would be some cover of distance and the other Deva went around the other side of the bench and leaned against the back so he could watch the other direction.

After they stayed there in silence for a few minutes, Shion decided he should at least _try_. If they didn’t wrap this up today, they would be back at it tomorrow and there wouldn’t be a change in who was assigned. If he worked to make things tolerable today, tomorrow might not be so daunting.

“I haven’t worked with a Glyph before,” he began awkwardly.

“Yeah? Well, we make for a strange disposition. It’s not many abilities that can be completely halted by your proficiency in art class,” Asaka replied smoothly.

“The symbols used have been the same since the disposition was first discovered, right?”

“Yeah, it’s basically a language, but one that never changes. Those early Glyphs worked with some other users with about as varied dispositions as they could find to try and work out the language of their core. If I remember correctly, a Chimera came along that really helped put it all together. The magic combination of Reader, Telepath, and Empath made it possible for them to know when they were close to something that the core responded to. Of course, this was way before we really understood about the natural instincts of using our cores and figured out that if they’d just done some free writing, they probably would have found it all on their own.” Shion looked up over his shoulder toward Asaka and saw an amused grin. “Anyway, the Chimera used their Reader core to intuit the reactions of the Glyph core itself instead of the user’s thoughts, which would have been impossible without the Telepath core being able to connect and communicate between any two living objects and we all know our cores live and die with us. Then their Empathy was left for the user and they would feel for the small change in people’s state when they use their core to really make sure they’d found a symbol with meaning. That Chimera and a few dozen Glyphs worked for years to map the active symbols for my disposition.”

Shion loved hearing histories of cores. There was such diversity between dispositions and each one had its own progression to how it came to be understood and used and Shion was fascinated to learn of them. He admitted it was the downside to not pursuing a role of research, that he didn’t need to have that sort of knowledge so he was always excited when he could learn something new.

And it seemed as though Asaka had been content to talk about it, to share it with someone. It was very likely he didn’t get the chance to often simply because most people weren’t really interested in details like that.

“The Chimera’s mental discipline must have been extraordinary,” Shion mused. “That is not an easy combination of dispositions to manage, especially at that time when we didn’t have a good understanding of psychology.”

Asaka made a thoughtful sound. “Even then there were Chimeras proving that maybe we didn’t know as much as we thought we did.”

Chimeras had a reputation for being unstable, that having more than one core made it more difficult for the user to control their abilities. They were also believed to have a generally lower power output because the body was providing energy to multiple cores at all times. These sort of beliefs had been around for about as long as cores had come to be commonly known and it was the reason Chimeras weren’t allowed to be Devas. There were no restrictions on them joining the User Enforcement Agency because it existed for the more menial, day-to-day issues for users and cores, but it was the one thing that guaranteed a user couldn’t become a Deva. And because a core could awaken at any time, many Devas had lost their position because a second core had awakened within them while doing their job.

The easiest way for a core’s awakening to be triggered was for the person to go through a traumatic event or be in danger; a Deva’s basic job was to potentially be in danger with any assignment they took on.

“What do you think about that? The whole Chimeras still not being allowed to be Devas?” Asaka asked suddenly and Shion looked up to the young man for a few seconds before returning his gaze to watch people walking along the sidewalk on the other side of the street.

“I think there are some things that are given too much time before they are reconsidered. I’m aware that the Prominents have been following the latest research into Chimeras and are on the verge of altering that policy, but it may be too little too late. Oni have been utilizing Chimeras to their full potential for a long time now and we’re lucky to have a close working relationship with the U.E.A. in addition to having the consultant program for civilians to work with Devas.

“But Devas are as good as we are because of the training we’re all required to go through. We are all taught to be adaptive and efficient with our abilities so that we handle every assignment with the lowest wasted effort possible. This allows us to still be considered a force that can answer any Oni threat successfully and protect the people even as we know we are always operating at about seventy-five percent capacity. There hasn’t been a full roster of Devas in nearly a hundred years and we’re lucky the Oni and civilians haven’t had the chance to figure that out yet.”

He saw Asaka looking at him out of the corner of his eye. “What makes you think that’s the percentage?”

“We have access to all assignments on record and I looked at a readout of all completed assignments and the stats from all of them for civilians and Devas lost for each one. If you know what you’re looking for, you can see when an assignment wasn’t given to the right person the first time around, likely because that person was on another assignment and they had to do something to respond to the threat. If there’s not multiple people within each division that can be the right one for each assignment, there is a deficit. And as the general population becomes more intelligent about how the Devas and U.E.A. works, we are seeing less people apply.” Shion offered a placating smile up to Asaka. “It’s the same with any law enforcement organization, though. We’re nothing special in this regard.”

“That’s supposed to be a comfort?”

“If you allow it to be. At least the Devas never lower requirements. As the average baseline for cores seems to be rising over the past few decades, so has the minimum power output for Deva applicants. As long as the Oni don’t gain too much ground on us, we should be able to maintain balance.”

“Some balance.”

“We take what we…” Shion tapered off and Asaka looked over to him, curious. He blinked twice to make sure, resetting his access to his core to clear it before reactivating it and seeing the tinted cloud of an Oni surrounding the man’s head. It looked the same as yesterday. “There he is, the Projector,” he declared, his voice lowering regardless of how far away they were from the man. He felt Asaka shift beside him, getting into a better position to search the crowd. “Passing from the left. Jeans, black shirt, dark blue zippered hoodie.”

“Got him. Call Yamase, get him over here.”

Asaka stepped around the bench, pausing as he waited for the Projector to get a little further away. Currently, the Oni was too close to too many people that he could easily make contact with and hurt for them to just attack, so they would have to wait until he was more exposed. And Yamase was a Wraith so if he could get in close to the man, he could keep him from using his abilities for long enough that Asaka could place a temporary seal on him.

Shion pulled out his phone and dialed Yamase as Asaka started following the Projector at a subtle enough distance, though he would have to cross the street to where there were more people gathered or he would be too exposed simply for walking on his own. And Asaka was someone people tended to remember as he was an attractive young man.

Yamase answered the phone as Shion stood to follow, relaying quickly where he was before Shion could say anything. Shion proceeded at a slow pace, deciding that he hadn’t been told not to follow therefore was in the clear about remaining within his role in the assignment. He would be there to warn them if the Oni’s core flared from use. And with Asaka already about four meters ahead, he wasn’t going to be able to say anything against it without calling attention to himself.

“We see him,” Shion declared to the other Deva when Yamase asked what his status was. “About two blocks from where you are. He’s in a dark blue hoodie. Asaka is following, currently on the other side of the street. Be careful, he’s in a crowd so don’t approach.”

“I’m on my way. Keep your distance, Shion. From the Oni and us. The guy knows what you look like and what you are. Anyone he sees you with, he’s going to suspect.”

“I’m aware.” Shion replied easily enough before he hung up and started to follow behind, remaining within sight of both the Projector and Asaka. Yamase would be coming from their right, likely converging with them by the next block if he heard Yamase clearly about where he’d been when Shion had called.

The Oni continued on to the end of that block, coming to the crosswalk and walking straight across after looking around to make sure there was no cars coming, seeming like any of the other pedestrians. The crowd around him diminished just a bit as people turned to go down the street. It was then that Shion took the opportunity to cross the street so he was on the same sidewalk as the Oni, following behind by about half the block’s distance, allowing other pedestrians to pass around him and help him blend in just a little bit more.

He glanced over to Asaka, who was still a little ahead of him to see that the young man had noticed him following and was giving him a disgruntled look. He just gave the other Deva a slight shrug and kept moving. Asaka shook his head, which was just about all he could do right now as he was avoiding calling attention.

They continued along that street for another few blocks, Yamase stepping in beside Asaka and the two walking together as they waited for any opportunity for the Oni to get some distance from the civilians around him. They just needed a few seconds where he wasn’t close enough to anyone to make contact with them before they could reach him.

Shion was pretty certain by now that the Oni was doing that on purpose, knowing that Devas were onto him and he had to have some coverage. And if he had any sense, he was working on moving on. But without his name, Shion didn’t know if the man was settled in pretty well here and it was difficult for him to just pick up and move on.

There was too much Shion didn’t know, too many unknowns that made it difficult to anticipate what the Oni would do.

Shion’s attention was caught by a small flare of power straight ahead and he was about to call out a warning to his companions when he realized that it hadn’t come from the Projector. Yes, it had come from the right direction and from a core darkened by Oni actions, but it hadn’t been the Projector. Shion looked past the man they were following and tried to find where it had really come from, quickly locating the source at the end of the next block. The person was well-concealed, wearing a cap and sunglasses and a jacket with the collar flipped up to cover his features. But none of that stopped Shion from seeing the air of the Oni hovering around his right temple.

There was no way to know for sure, but Shion realized it was possible that the reason the Projector hadn’t moved on yet was because of other Oni in the area. There had been a noticeable increase in reports of Oni cooperating with each other, becoming allies and working together. This wasn’t something that happened very often, as often the motivations of Oni were to become more powerful. Power like what the cores granted wasn’t easy to share. But whenever there had been a case of Oni working together, cooperating as Devas and U.E.A. agents did to achieve a common goal, the results had always been horrible. So many people would be hurt and there was just something about those willing to use their abilities against others but working with those of a common goal that made them exponentially more difficult to deal with. It had always taken more time and resources for them to be handled, to be identified, caught, and sealed if not killed.

Devas and the U.E.A. preferred to not resort to killing Oni, but there were times when there just wasn’t another option in keeping people safe.

And, unfortunately, the Projector seemed to prove Shion correct as he changed his angle so that he moved to the inside of the sidewalk, then slowed down in front of the other Oni enough that they made eye contact before the other Oni stood up straight from his position leaning against the building the sidewalk lined. They continued walking next to each other, not appearing to have said anything yet. They continued to the end of the block, then turned left to follow the sidewalk, stepping out of Shion’s like of vision easily.

He looked across the street to see Yamase and Asaka crossing toward him which he hadn’t expected. He thought they would have continued after the Projector, not wanting to lose him again when they were on his trail. And they wouldn’t have known the man who joined him was an Oni. But as Yamase and Asaka walked up next to Shion, the three of them slowed down a little so they wouldn’t come around the corner the Oni had turned at blind, just in case they knew they’d been followed.

“It was another Oni,” Shion stated before either of them asked. “Right hemisphere centered. I didn’t see a second core.”

“Great, some of the cores most likely to be able to identify us as Devas are centered in the right hemisphere of the brain,” Yamase said, sounding disgruntled.

“There was only a slight flash of his core that caught my attention. If he was a Telepath or a Clairvoyant, it would be pulsing for longer. I believe he only used his core to identify himself to the Projector.”

“Why are you even following?” Asaka asked before they could say anything else. “You can’t be nearby if this turns into a fight. That’s why we’re here.”

“I’m the one who can see if he’s going to use his abilities against anyone. Every second counts when we’re talking about the effects of a Projector’s hallucinations. And his take over very quickly.”

Asaka definitely didn’t want to go along with it, his expression saying as much, but Shion had made logical points and those were more difficult to refute. “Just…keep your distance,” Asaka settled on saying as he took an extra step ahead of the other two.

“Like two people telling him what to do is going to make any difference,” Yamase muttered and Asaka let out a sigh so Shion knew he’d heard it.

Shion did what he thought needed to be done, nothing more.

Asaka continued forward after glancing around the corner, Shion following to see that the two Oni were still about half a block ahead and walking. This street led to another line of apartment buildings, though they were heading in the direction of some rough parts of this area. That alone would make the three Devas stand out more. Even in casual clothes as they were, they didn’t match the people around them well enough.

Not that there were as many to blend in with. As it was, there was gradually becoming less and less people on the streets and longer periods without a car passing.

“Yamase, let’s get closer,” Asaka declared but Shion reached out and grabbed onto his sleeve before he got too far away.

Asaka turned and gave him an intense look, which only got Shion to let him go. “I think we should wait to see what happens before we reveal ourselves. They seem as though they are looking for privacy and leaving the shelter of civilians around them. If this is an opportunity to learn of other Oni in the area we need to take advantage of it.”

“That’s not what we’re here for, Shion. We are here to apprehend the Projector who has used his abilities to kill three people, possibly more that we simply haven’t found yet. We’re not out to gather information and we don’t make that call of altering our assignment.”

“So, we ignore another Oni because it’s beyond the scope of our current assignment? What about the core duty of all Devas to protect people against all Oni? We don’t just do what’s convenient at the time. And here I thought part of becoming an Adept was proving a higher capability of adjusting to any situation.”

Asaka just kept his eyes locked on Shion for a few tense seconds before he let out a heavy sigh. “You’re out of line, Initiate Himura, but you aren’t wrong. However, neither am I and I will not risk catching the Projector for the sake of unguaranteed information. He’s killed people and that makes securing him a priority.”

“If they’re going somewhere for privacy, then either they’re going to talk or we’ll be finding a potential victim. Either way, we risk more by interrupting too soon.” Shion looked past Asaka. “And we’re about to lose sight of them,” he added and the other man let out another deep sigh and turned to continue following as the two Oni turned another corner, this time stepping off the street and toward one of the apartment buildings.

“Stay together. Shion, please listen and don’t put yourself in danger. If you get hurt, that’s my responsibility.”

“Right,” Shion automatically replied as he altered his control over his core and tapped a little deeper into his abilities.

Everything about his abilities was visual, but he had just a few more layers of what he could expose to his vision. He could track discharge of cores as long as they had passed within the last half hour and he had already seen the core itself. And because he had seen both of the Oni enough, he had everything he needed to make sure he didn’t lose them now.

He just didn’t get the opportunity to use this ability too often because of the time constraint and his position’s limitations. But Asaka and Yamase both knew it was something he could do and they let him step ahead, though Asaka stayed close and Shion noticed the subtle movement of him slipping a glove onto his right hand. He carried a variety of gloves, all embroidered with different symbols to use against Oni. Shion didn’t know what this one did, but he figured it was one more geared toward offense since Yamase was supposed to be the one in a defensive position.

He picked up the air displacement cause by a core’s discharge, noticed the familiar tint to the discharge that came from two Oni recently passing. If he hadn’t seen them, he would have perceived nothing. He walked at a fast pace, leading the other two off of the sidewalk and toward the apartment building. They ascended the few steps to one of the side doors and Shion slowly pulled the door open, looking carefully around the part of the hall leading to a staircase with a few doors scattered along the hallway. The discharge continued to a few doors away from them to the right.

Shion stepped up to the door and he leaned in close to the door to try and hear anything on the other side. He heard muffled voices, nothing clear enough that he could make out what was being said, but he could tell that part of that was because they weren’t close to the door.

Shion took a risk, grabbing the handle and slowly turning it, the latch releasing easily and quietly enough. Shion eased the door open as slowly and slightly as he could as he leaned in closer to the gap he’d created, relieved at the lack of sound from the hinges. He’d lucked out and the expressions on Asaka and Yamase’s faces said they would have done something to stop him if there wasn’t a great measure of silence required.

Never let it be said that Shion couldn’t monopolize a situation if he got the chance to, even if that wasn’t his ultimate goal, it ended up happening. He just figured out what needed to be done and then figured out the easiest way to accomplish it, then went through with it when he could. It wasn’t his fault that often meant officially stepping beyond what he was allowed to do.

Like now, he _should_ have stepped away from the door as soon as he identified that the two were definitely in that room. But he wanted to know what the Projector was doing, who this other Oni was, and if there was a greater threat building than just one Oni practicing his abilities.

“Why bother meeting with me?” Shion recognized the voice of the Projector. “I just awakened a few months ago and I’ve barely done anything with it.”

“Except become very proficient at making people die from physical trauma caused by fire and smoke damage to their bodies without them being on fire. Your attention to detail is exquisite for them to believe you so entirely. You need to understand how powerful you are just in your attention to detail.” The other Oni’s voice was smooth, someone you wanted to listen to. But he didn’t sound sinister, just conversational as well as seeming genuinely impressed with what the Projector was capable of. Shion felt like that made him immensely dangerous, that because his approach toward the actions of another Oni was to praise them he was someone they needed to know about and handle soon.

Because there were some who came to regret their actions. There were even those Oni whose actions were so minutely dangerous to others because they couldn’t bring themselves to do worse. Those were the kind that made up about sixty percent of Oni and were dealt with by a standard seal of their cores and some rehabilitative treatment. But then there were those like the two in the room who made up the difference of others not being as dangerous by presenting so great of a threat that even Devas weren’t guaranteed to be able to handle them with ease.

“I guess thanks. What’s it to you?” the Projector growled back. He didn’t appear to trust the man, which was at least in their favor. It wasn’t guaranteed that they would work together.

It may not remain that way if they allowed the meeting to conclude, yet Shion still felt like they hadn’t gotten all they could by listening in here.

“Regardless of the Devas and the U.E.A. opposing everything we do, claiming some moral high ground because we use what we can do as it is meant to be used, I don’t believe they are necessarily wrong in cooperating for the big picture. Oni have failed to gain ground against them, to do anything to successfully put a dent in their force for literally hundreds of years. I think it’s past time we do something to change that. They win because they aren’t distracted by their own agenda. We could learn from that.”

The Projector scoffed. “Taking lessons from the guys that want to see us sealed or dead?”

“If it’s a good lesson, who cares where it comes from?”

The Projector was silent and Shion was becoming acutely aware of how dangerous the other Oni’s beliefs were. Someone who thought that how things were with the Oni needed to change to become more organized was unfortunately exactly what they needed to advance by leaps in the threat they posed.

A quick look over to Asaka and Yamase revealed that they agreed.

Shion stood up straight and took a step away from the door. He had to let the other two Devas settle this. And the other Oni would be apprehended in the process and the threat he posed would be taken care of before he found too much footing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Minor detail that I meant to mention last chapter but forgot and it works fine making it here: Shohei and Asaka are characters from Only the Ring Finger Knows and not OCs. I tend not to tag minor characters as a general preference but want to make sure that it is noted that these two are not my creation. And while I'm, as with everyone, doing my best to not put them OOC, knowing how they are in their own canon is not necessary, just a bonus.  
> Thanks for reading and I'll see you next week.


	5. Unprepared

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Devas confront the Oni...

Asaka stepped up to the door, listening as the two Oni inside continued to speak but Shion was far enough back that he couldn’t hear what was being said. Knowing Asaka, he was getting a better idea of where the two men were located in the room. But there was just not much they could do with the dispositions at their disposal and wanting to maintain the element of surprise. All Shion could figure out was that the room continued on for only about fifteen feet and the men were closer to the far wall than the door; but Asaka was likely better at figuring things out like that than Shion.

Either way, he looked over to Yamase and gave him a quick nod before he placed his gloved right hand flat on the door, close to the middle hinges. There was a quick pulse of his core around his right temple and the glove let out a low glow before the door was forced forward so quickly it tore from the frame and shot across the room, Yamase following through the threshold in its path.

Asaka was using a Glyph that would increase physical attributes like strength and speed. It would make up the difference of not having someone with a disposition that did that normally.

Shion listened to the commotion within the room as Asaka went in as well, hearing exclamations from the Oni and then sounds of people shuffling around in a tight space. It was likely from the sounds that Yamase hadn’t managed to get a hand on the Projector to disrupt his access to his core and it sounded like maybe the other Oni was at least capable of putting up his own fight as he could pick out the sounds of fists landing.

Shion wanted to know exactly what was going on but for once felt that it was more important that he remain concealed. After all, the Projector knew what he looked like and he might target Shion just because of that.

But he could be a warning to the Devas in there fighting. He would be able to see a buildup of power and if he figured out the other Oni’s disposition, he could potentially identify what abilities he was going to use. It was the sort of thing Shion had practiced and become exceptionally proficient at: learning what the more common abilities of dispositions looked like. And even if he didn’t know exactly what was going to be done, he could compare it to what he did know and make an educated guess. It was the good he could be to someone in a fight as long as he refused to learn how to fight himself.

As he was considering his actions, there was a sudden change in the air around Shion. The hair on the back of his neck shifted like it was being moved by the wind and Shion realized what that must have meant – considering where the other Oni’s core was centered – and he covered his head with his arms protectively as the wall behind him was suddenly pelted with objects, others flying through where the door had been.

A Sidhe, someone with control over the wind. And with the core centered in the right hemisphere of the brain, that meant he was an Elemental instead of a Dragon. So, he’d be using physiological motions to channel his abilities. And if he had any talent, the motions he’d need weren’t large and they wouldn’t use much power.

Shion looked at where what looked like pieces of the door had slammed into the wall across the hall from him, he could generate bursts of hurricane force winds very easily.

“Shion!”

His attention was grabbed by Yamase suddenly calling his name and he was about to look around the corner when there were more loud bangs of objects impacting the wall at his back. But he realized quickly why this was different enough for Yamase to call him: the wall was being destroyed very quickly by whatever the Sidhe was ramming into it.

“Move!” Yamase yelled and Shion guessed it was directed at him.

He dove to the side, though it wasn’t soon enough as the wall behind him was torn through by chunks of wood and other objects that had been in the room as well as pieces of the wall itself. And Shion felt all that bite into his back and down the back of his legs through his clothes as he wasn’t clear of the path. He hit the floor hard, landing on more debris that had come through the doorway before and he was grateful that he had left his arms up over his head.

He shook off his disorientation and the pieces of the wall that had landed on him. Once he was certain there was no serious damage, just cuts and what would be bruises, he got his legs under him and looked in to the room to see if there was still cause to be concerned. After all, he didn’t know if it had been an accident or if they’d figured out he was there and had attacked him.

Asaka was on the ground against a wall on the left of the room, appearing as though he’d been thrown and hadn’t recovered yet.

Yamase was right in front of him, obviously trying to get a hand on the Projector’s skin so he could cut him off from his abilities while keeping him between the Devas and the Sidhe. But looking at the path of destruction around the room, Shion was mostly certain the wall behind him being destroyed was collateral damage.

But him moving around and the hole in the wall making the hallway more visible caught the eyes of the Oni and they both looked toward him.

The Projector’s eyes flashed with recognition and rage. “Should’ve known it was that little shit Deva leading the way. Thought I’d left you for dead,” he grumbled darkly before lunging at Yamase again to try and make contact so he could use his own abilities. But with both of their cores being based off of physical touch, it would end up being a contest of how much power they put into what they tried to do or they would just cancel each other out. And Shion knew how quickly the Projector’s hallucination took hold. If Yamase wasn’t careful, he could easily lose that contest.

Shion looked over to the Sidhe, frustrated that nothing about the fight had managed to dislodge anything that was covering his face so they still couldn’t get an idea of what he looked like. But he could tell that the man’s attention was still on him and he’d taken a step closer to him. Shion’s body tensed reflexively, getting ready to roll to the side if he saw any buildup of power but he didn’t want to make the man attack him.

“You’re new to being an Oni: the oversight of not sticking around to make sure the job gets finished is allowed this one time,” the Sidhe said, side-stepping as the Projector stumbled back from a kick to his side from Yamase. “He’s a Deva?” he asked, placing a hand on the Projector’s shoulder to keep him from going after Yamase again.

Yamase glanced at Shion, who gave a slight wave of his hand to indicate that he should allow a few seconds as well. Maybe Asaka would recover enough to get back into the fight even though that was a very optimistic thought since it looked like he was still out cold.

“Yeah, caught him scouting the area yesterday. Hit him when he was on the move, thought what I planted was strong enough to take him out no matter that he’s a Deva. His little badge even said he’s only an Initiate so I figured he’d be easy pickings. My mistake.”

“Obviously. An Initiate isn’t supposed to be allowed to work alone. What abilities make you different?” The last part was spoken louder and obviously toward Shion. He remained silent and still, his heart pounding at being the focus of someone who could very easily seriously hurt him from where he was across the room. And Shion couldn’t do anything but try and mitigate the damage.

“No one knew what I looked like. Sending a lackey out to find me like that was pointless. I was just lucky I caught sight of that little health monitor they all wear before he saw me or I’d have been screwed.”

Shion didn’t know that civilians knew about those monitors. But they’d been using them for quite a few years now so it was possible that enough people had seen them to put it together what they were. And since they only wore them while on assignment, it was also possible they had set themselves up for having such an easy identifier.

“Does that mean you can identify us for what we are on sight? Or are you just a Reader? No, if you were a Reader, you would have known he’d found you out and he wouldn’t have gotten close enough to you. The Devas frustratingly don’t deal in incompetence. Just what can you do?” The Oni sounded thoughtful now and Shion had the thought that if there was anyone he shouldn’t be open about his ability to identify Oni by looking at them while tapped into his core, it would be this one. And while he hadn’t said much, there was a confidence behind his tone that made Shion think this was someone who had done what all Devas were required to do and learned about other dispositions. Because not many people cared enough about what other people were able to do to look through all the dispositions and remember details.

This Sidhe had possibly learned extensively about other dispositions and wanted to unite Oni in a way they hadn’t before – to Shion’s knowledge – and it was likely that he had sufficient power and control over his own core to be a threat on his own. After all, what other reason would Oni have to start listening to him if he couldn’t back up his own ambition.

Even as Shion’s mind raced through everything, he still didn’t fail to catch the flash of power building around the Sidhe’s core and gathering around his arm. So by the time the Sidhe shoved the Projector out of the way and flung his arm in a controlled arc toward Shion, he was already rolling to the side and out of view, loose boards and chunks of the destroyed wall flying up from the force of the wind created. And even jumping out of the direct line, Shion felt himself be pushed to the side and had to plant his hand on the floor to make sure he didn’t lose his balance in his crouched position.

He quickly went back to the gap and got at a good enough angle that he could see that Yamase and Asaka were still alright. They were both on the ground now, laying about a foot from where they’d been, but Yamase was already moving around so at least he hadn’t been knocked unconscious. Asaka still wasn’t waking up.

Shion heard footfalls approaching him before he heard the Sidhe’s voice again. “Here’s where we call it a day. If what you said is true, he can break your illusions so it would be pointless to try. And that other one is obviously trying to get in contact with you for longer than a punch connecting so I’m going to guess he’s a Wraith. We’re no use to anyone cut off from our cores.”

“You’re joking, right?” the Projector shot back, obviously irritated. Shion took the chance to move a bit further toward the door frame. The Projector had rounded on the Sidhe and Shion could see that in his anger, his core was flaring with power; Shion nearly hoped that he would strike out with a hallucination against the other Oni and save them the trouble. The illusion may not hold for very long, but any second mattered and Yamase was recovering his focus well enough that a second or two would be all he needed.

“We get sealed or die when we don’t allow caution to tell us when to retreat. I’m merely offering what I think is a wise suggestion. It’s up to you to take it or leave it.”

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a larger build of power from his core that encompassed his entire arm before he turned toward the wall opposite the door – which would lead out to the street – and swung his arm in a quick line, a burst of wind following the motion and practically slamming into the wall with a deafening roar.

It would have been like a wrecking ball crashing into the wall with how focused and violent it had been and the wall broke away to open up to the outside.

Then, before either of the Devas or the Projector could do anything about it, the Sidhe turned again and let out another wave of wind. He used his free arm to push the Projector from the direct line of his power and it wasn’t as strong as he’d done before, obviously only using the remnants of power from the previous wave for this one instead of taking time to build up any more. It was enough to knock Yamase back onto the floor and slide another few feet to run into the wall next to where it had been destroyed. And Shion had to duck behind the still intact wall he was secluded behind to keep debris from hitting him.

And once it settled enough that he would risk looking around the corner again, both the Projector and the Sidhe were gone. Yamase was rolling to his side with a groan, slower to recover this time around so he’d likely had the breath knocked out of him with the last impact. Asaka was still unconscious but there were some slight movements that indicated he was finally starting to stir, thankfully.

Shion was hesitant to come out from his cover. He’d been close to fights before, but something about that one had made him feel like he’d actually been in danger.

Something about that Sidhe made him feel like there was danger, that there was something very real to worry about. It wasn’t just that he had a dangerous ambition, because plenty of Oni had that, but his was dangerous in a manner that had to be taken care of or a lot of people could get hurt.

And they had nothing but a disposition – a common one at that – and a gender to go off of.

“Shion, you okay?” Yamase called out to him, his voice strained and revealing that he hadn’t quite gotten his breath back. It was possible he was injured.

“Yes, I’m alright,” Shion replied as he leaned back against the wall with a slight wince as he was calming down and could now feel where his back was cut up. “What about you and Asaka?”

“Luckily just banged up. That Sidhe, he’s got damn good reflexes. He knocked Asaka back almost as quickly as he was in the room. If it wasn’t such a small room, we would have been much worse off.” There was a short pause and then Yamase let out a deep sigh. “We didn’t exactly have the advantage here. Why’d they leave?”

It was a good question.

* * *

Yamase had two broken ribs but was able to give his verbal report easily enough before being taken to the hospital where there were a few more Regens to spare to heal him.

Asaka had been loaded into an ambulance as soon as they arrived. He regained consciousness but was obviously suffering from a serious concussion. They would have to wait until he was treated before getting his report and he might not have a clear recollection of events to give.

Shion turned down a Regen’s healing, feeling that some superficial cuts on his back was a waste of energy when there were other people in much more serious condition. He’d given his accounting of events, happy that he was able to do so effectively.

And while Shohei had obviously been displeased with how things had gone, there was no question that he was ultimately relieved that injuries had been minimal. The loss of their target only made so much difference but if someone had died, that would have changed things significantly.

Shion wasn’t even surprised when Shohei had declared after he’d finished his report, “Obviously, you’re removed from the assignment. One Oni knows exactly who you are and another knows enough to guess at an ability unique to you that puts him at risk.”

Shion had simply nodded acceptance, which Shohei apparently hadn’t been expecting as he gave the teen a strange look before he moved on to see if anyone investigating the scene had found anything of use to indicate where the Oni had gone. Shion had been left at the ambulance with his shirt pulled up over his head so the emergency medical responder who wasn’t a user – a standard practice because of the limits to what a Regen could do – could clean the wounds on his back and make sure nothing was deep enough to need stitches.

And because Shion had nothing to do but look around while the man worked, he couldn’t help but scan over the crowd that had gathered to catch a glimpse of what had happened. He wasn’t looking for anything in particular, just looking while his mind wandered over what had happened. He doubted he would have noticed the familiar dark hair pulled back into a ponytail and grey eyes watching everything carefully otherwise.

Nezumi…

Shion was moving to stand and go to Nezumi when the man still cleaning his wounds placed a hand on his shoulder to keep him from moving away and he had to relax back, keeping his eyes on Nezumi, watching for him to leave and for him to lose an opportunity to talk to him again.

Nezumi was watching him in return, his expression even at first to not give anything away and then becoming amused as he watched Shion get anxious about being made to wait.

When he was released to leave, he managed to continue to restrain himself, taking a roundabout route toward Nezumi to not do anything to bring attention to what he was doing from Shohei or any other Deva on the scene. It just felt like the right thing to do.

And Nezumi followed his lead, stepping out of where he was blending in with the crowd to where they should have some measure of privacy without gaining suspicion. Nezumi turned his back against the hood of one of the emergency vehicles parked around the building and Shion stepped up directly in front of him, close enough to be private and hoping he wasn’t too close to be making Nezumi uncomfortable.

“You are seriously exceeding my expectations on how much trouble you are,” Nezumi stated with a smirk. “Yesterday it was a Projector’s hallucination. Today, you’re in the middle of a building getting knocked around.”

“They aren’t unrelated,” Shion defended, feeling himself flush a little as he realized that clarifying might not actually improve his point. “The Oni I was tracking yesterday met with another and they were able to fight us off.”

“Oh, well that makes it alright, then.” Nezumi suddenly looked serious and he lowered his voice even more. “You’re still in one piece, then?”

Shion wasn’t expecting a show of concern. “Yes, my injuries are superficial. Just cuts and bruises from flying debris.”

Nezumi lifted an eyebrow at him and Shion was taken by how expressive he was being today. “You were inside.”

“The other Oni was a Sidhe.” Nezumi nodded understanding. Shion recalled then something that Nezumi had said the day before. “You said you live in this area, right? Do you know of any Sidhe, even if it’s just rumors that someone around here has that disposition? The man was well concealed and we weren’t able to get any details of his features.”

“Not anything?” Nezumi asked instead.

“Nothing really useful to finding him. He was shorter than the Projector but not by much, he’s not a Chimera, and he knows quite a bit about cores and dispositions. That’s nothing for getting an identification on him.”

Nezumi was smirking again. “Don’t like losing, do you.” Shion didn’t answer and Nezumi got serious again after a short pause. “Don’t know anyone. I’ll ask around, see if I can’t stir up enough talk for him to move on from the area. This may be a shitty part of the city, but that doesn’t mean we appreciate Oni setting up shop here. That gets too much attention from the Devas in the area and there goes our ability to have a good day.”

Shion wasn’t sure how serious Nezumi was being.

“We would prefer information that could lead to us successfully apprehending them. The Projector that I was tracking and attacked me yesterday is already responsible for three deaths by his abilities. He’s dangerous now and will only continue to improve the strength of his hallucinations.  And the Sidhe is working to unite Oni so that they can create a coordinated effort to meet their goals.”

“You say that like Oni have never worked together before. It does happen, you know.”

“Of course I’m aware of that. I’m also aware that the ones who successfully coordinate with each other represent a far greater threat to everyone and the Sidhe’s entire intentions appear to revolve around seeing Oni gain ground against the Devas, the U.E.A., and likely the Protection of the Paladins Organization as well since they represent as much of an opposition as we do even if they don’t actively exist to counter Oni.”

Nezumi gave a dismissive shrug and Shion felt just a little more irritated by that response. While he didn’t expect everyone to hold an interest in making sure the Oni didn’t harm others, he had hoped that someone intending to target the organizations that defended people against them specifically would garner some interest. Without the Devas and the U.E.A. the Oni would be free to do whatever they pleased with the only opposition coming from whoever randomly decided to fight back and they would likely be untrained and stand little chance of success. And while some measure of self-training was simply a part of being a user, there was a great difference between what people could usually accomplish through that as opposed to going through months of focused training in gaining the most accurate discipline and control over one’s core and power. It simply wasn’t what a majority of users decided to dedicate their time to.

Shion let out a sigh and ran his hand through his hair, fingers catching on a few knots and feeling dust get shaken out with the action.

“I have seen many Oni in my time with the Devas, whether it be for training, an assignment, or helping with a review of an Oni’s status to determine if they are safe enough to be returned to society or even have seals removed. I have been exposed to just about every manner of using a core to bring harm to others. There’s something about the Sidhe that makes me more concerned about him than I am about the Oni I know has killed people, who nearly caused me significant harm. We have to try and keep this Oni from gaining the ground he’s looking for, because it is apparent that he is currently recruiting.” Nezumi was watching him closely, his grey eyes boring into Shion, taking in so much more than Shion thought he should be able to. “I’m not concerned about what the Projector can tell him. I’m merely concerned about his cause itself and stopping it.”

Nezumi frowned at that. “What do you mean ‘what the Projector can tell him’? What does he know?”

Shion frowned, not really understanding why Nezumi had chosen to focus on that out of everything he’d said. So, he answered with a confused frown, “He saw my identification yesterday. It was why he attacked me, because he found out for sure that I’m a Deva.”

Nezumi uncrossed his arms and stood up straight, then took another step closer to Shion, who wanted to step back at how intimidating the motion was. “Let me see your ID, the one that he saw.”

Shion continued to stare at him and replied instead since he didn’t have it today. “It’s just my Deva identification. It’s just my picture, name, a personal ID number we’re all assigned, division I work at, rank, and would list if I was part of any specialized department but I’m not. It’s not like he saw my personal ID.” They were discouraged from carrying that and only carried their Deva ID about half the time when it was more likely that they’d have to prove they were one. A big part of being a Deva was some level of privacy about being one. Family and close friends were usually the only ones recommended to know about being one for the sake of not calling attention to themselves about it.

Nezumi was giving him a flat look, seeming to be unimpressed with his dismissal. “Oh, that’s all it has. And here I was thinking it had something even remotely identifying that someone could use to track you down. But I guess your name couldn’t possibly count. There is absolutely no way he could remember your name and search for you using that. Or do you have some measure of intelligence and don’t have anything connected to your name, possibly even use a fake identity for all your Deva needs.”

Shion honestly didn’t believe that the Projector even remembered that, though. He hadn’t called him by name when he saw him again, just recognized him. And just because Shion could remember everything he read, that was because of a photographic memory and not many people could do that.

“When he saw me in there, he didn’t indicate that he remembered my name. And yesterday, he only looked to see that I was a Deva. And he believed that he had killed me so there was no reason for him to know my name. I don’t think there is a risk of him being able to reveal my identity to the Sidhe.”

“You’re an idiot,” Nezumi simply stated with a roll of his eyes and Shion wanted to defend himself, but it wasn’t something he was used to being called so he simply couldn’t think of a retort. “Fine, you want to buy into the goodness of man, that’s your funeral. Just tell me you could at least call someone to help you out if you’re wrong. Because you’re apparently no good in a fight.”

“Of course I’m not skilled in fighting: I’m a Clairvoyant and I haven’t completed the combat training programs to learn how.” At the raise in Nezumi eyebrow, Shion guessed that he likely hadn’t done himself any favors by pointing that out. “I can request Yamase to continue shadowing me, but it’ll only go through if Shohei agrees I’m at risk. We don’t tend to put people where they aren’t necessary and Yamase would be better being returned to another assignment if he doesn’t continue to pursue the Projector.”

“Do it,” Nezumi commanded and Shion wasn’t sure how he felt about the other teen being so comfortable telling him what to do. He didn’t think they’d spent enough time around each other for that to be something Nezumi was confident in doing. “Then try to keep out of trouble for a few days at least. Constant life-threatening situations isn’t good for the heart and you never know when it’ll kickstart a second core. Wouldn’t want to lose your almighty status because you don’t qualify anymore by becoming a Chimera.”

It was every Devas greatest concern: their position placing them in danger regularly becoming the cause for a second core awakening and them no longer being able to remain Devas. The training supposedly helped in that it took more for them to be in serious danger where a core may form and awaken to protect them, but there were never any guarantees to keeping a core from forming. If it was going to happen, it would happen no matter what the person did to avoid it.

“Will you…” Shion wasn’t sure how to ask how they’d see each other again, mostly because he didn’t know if it was something he should be thinking was going to happen. So far his success in seeing Nezumi again had been in assuming it wouldn’t happen. “If you find anything, how will you relay it to me?”

“I guess you’ll find out when I let you know,” Nezumi was smirking again and Shion let out a sigh. It didn’t matter that he’d somewhat expected that sort of response, it didn’t change that he was disappointed in hearing it. He acknowledged that this time he wanted some assurance that this wasn’t the last time for them.

“Oh,” he simply responded.

Shion was about to continue when he noticed Nezumi’s gaze focus past him, looking over his right shoulder and he turned to follow the gaze. Shohei was looking toward them, his expression tense so it was likely that he recognized Nezumi. He noticed that Shion was looking at him and he crossed his arms and nodded him over.

Shion looked back toward Nezumi, who returned his gaze. “I have to finish up here and then I’ll likely be sent back to the Deva’s operations to complete my report before going home. I’m being removed from the assignment and the Deva Senior I report to isn’t exactly thrilled with me right now.”

“I see that. But I think I’m gonna take his side with it.”

Shion managed to ignore the interjection. “I hope to see you again soon, though under different circumstances.”

“Please, we wouldn’t know what to say if one of us wasn’t in some sort of trouble. It’s the basis of our relationship.”

Shion wanted to say that it wasn’t how he wanted it to be but didn’t feel like having Nezumi tease him for saying so. He instead gave Nezumi a slight bow, then turned and walked back toward the bustle of emergency responders and Shohei.

He wondered how many more times the two of them would walk away from each other like that before something changed.


	6. Fighter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nezumi was right...

Five days later and Shion was convinced Shohei was keeping him under unofficial house arrest at the Deva’s office because he couldn’t actually take disciplinary action against him since he technically didn’t do anything wrong. But he hadn’t been given any assignments that involved working in the field. He’d reviewed intel they’d received concerning another active Oni that had come into the area and he’d identified and followed an Oni on video submitted by the U.E.A. but that was it. Nothing else in five days and that was ridiculous. He had more to offer than filling one of the desks.

But there was also nothing new from the Projector and nothing had turned up about the Sidhe. They were at a dead end without having identified either of them.

Though no more victims had been found and Shion allowed the hope that it meant that the Sidhe’s methods meant that the Projector wouldn’t be exploring his abilities by killing any more people.

He was entirely aware that it was more likely that they had moved on after knowing they were both exposed of being in the area to the Devas. It was most likely that they had missed an opportunity here and there was no telling what the consequences would be in the long run.

Perhaps Shion did deserve disciplinary action after all, he thought with a deep sigh.

“Still haven’t gotten over it?” Yamase said from behind Shion and he turned to face the other Deva.

Yamase had healed well and had already been working on his next assignment, Shion was grateful to know. And Asaka had returned as well, but Shion didn’t have much reason to see him often so he hadn’t actually been able to speak to him since the apartment building. If nothing else, he wanted to apologize for not being able to help them out when they’d enacted their attack on the Oni. Three Devas should have been sufficient to detain two Oni.

“I suppose so,” Shion replied, acknowledging the irony of nearly getting lost in thought of details concerning the event just after Yamase had teased him about it, regardless of how minor the teasing was. “Are you finished for today?” Shion had been leaving when Yamase did. They lived in the same direction away from the office, Shion a little further away but not by much. The first two days he had claimed that he wanted to help Yamase while he was still healing up the last bit and he just hadn’t expressed a desire to change that while Yamase seemed to appreciate the company.

And Shion was able to at least satisfy the possibility that Nezumi – who he hadn’t laid eyes on since they parted ways on the street five days ago – was right about him being in continued danger because the Projector might know his name. He was watching for threats in the manner he’d trained himself to, remaining tapped into his core whenever he was outside the protection of the Deva’s office and making sure to regularly scan his surroundings. In that time, he had only seen one user with the discharge of an Oni and he had reported it to the U.E.A. since he didn’t recognize the person as an active case.

And the core had been centered in the heart so he knew it wasn’t the Elemental Sidhe.

“Yeah, I was just finishing up with my final check with the Regen and am cleared as back at full functionality.” Yamase chuckled as Shion stood from his desk and grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair. “I haven’t gotten thrown around like that in a while. I forgot how much it sucks to hurt when I breathe.”

Shion smiled as he put on his jacket and they walked toward the elevator. “I’m just grateful I didn’t need any stitches. I had them once a few months after joining the Devas and didn’t feel like making a Regen use their abilities on something that is easily fixed, especially when I wasn’t participating in combat training, that I decided to let it heal naturally. I almost reconsidered on the third day when the stitches were really starting to itch.”

Yamase laughed again as they stepped onto the elevator, nodding a polite greeting to the other pair of people already in it.

They remained silent until they’d left the building, walking toward the subway.

“You got anything planned tonight? Or just home and be bored until you fall asleep like most nights?” Yamase asked once they were outside the building and had both slipped their IDs, which they had to have visible while inside, into their pockets.

“I was going to invite a friend of mine over to the bakery for dinner. We don’t see each other often because of work and I’m trying to change that at least a little.”

“Not that guy from the alley, right?” Yamase still didn’t seem completely comfortable with the idea of Nezumi. He hadn’t really brought him up again but he was now terse.

“No, a friend from school before I joined the Devas. She and I were in a lot of the same advanced classes in school and we’ve remained friends since then.”

“Ah, another smart one?” Yamase was teasing again.

“Yes, she is brilliant. She’s done a lot of work in behavioral psychology and neurobiology. So, she can tell you how your brain works and why, then tell you how you’re feeling based on observing subtleties in your body language that really make it unfair to try and keep things hidden from her,” Shion finished with a smile. “Honestly, the Devas should ask her to be a consultant and give the Readers a break.”

“Like we don’t live a life predicated on being able to keep secrets,” Yamase mused with a shake of his head.

“Some more than others. Why do you think I’m not in a hurry to go up in rank?” he asked, joking.

“And here I always though it was because whenever they tried to convince you to advance, you threw undisputable logic back at them.” His tone and expression became more serious then. “I’m not sure they’re going to accept your arguments anymore, though. Asaka and Shohei met with the Master of the division a few days ago to review the assignment, letting them know what had happened with that Elemental and what he was planning. They’re both making the argument that you not being a combatant is a huge determining factor in why we lost them and that you should be trained. I don’t know if anything they said made a difference, but you have to be aware that your ability of being able to identify Oni on sight is of greater value to them than your refusal to learn to fight.”

“My logic doesn’t actually falter because of what happened,” Shion countered smoothly. He’d figured that Shohei at least would use the other day to try and get leverage on his argument. “I’m still just a Clairvoyant and my core doesn’t actually lend anything to being able to fight. I can’t affect other cores, only see them.”

“Don’t underestimate the difference that makes in a fight. You can see every single time someone accesses their core and that gives you a clear advantage than me, where I can only react, which is extremely restrictive and becomes very dangerous when I don’t know the person’s disposition. Luckily I don’t need to know a disposition to cut them off from it, but it would be nice to know where it was for sure before I made contact with them. That second it takes me to locate it if I don’t have intel or you around to tell me has been the difference between me getting them the first time or not.”

It was a fair point. However, “It still doesn’t mean there would have been a difference to the outcome five days ago. The Elemental was very skilled and powerful. He was so controlled in everything he did and I guarantee you he barely used any of the power he had.”

“You know that means him leaving like he did makes even less sense.”

Shion considered that, as he had countless times already. “I don’t know if we can think of him in the same manner we’ve treated any other Oni. He has definitely used his core against other people with the intent to harm them or gain power; his core has the appearance of being affected by him using it in that manner. But I think he’s working more long-term than we’ve ever seen before. I’m fairly certain he’s never done anything that can be traced to him. Perhaps that is simply still his priority; an Oni’s options get severely limited once they’ve been identified.”

“Thought about this a lot?” Yamase asked after a short pause.

“You’re the one who noted that I haven’t gotten over it,” Shion allowed the joking tone to return to his voice, attempting to distract from just how accurate it really was to say so. So much about what had happened didn’t fit what they’d all come to expect from Oni that he admitted he was having trouble wrapping his head around it and figuring out what he needed to do to alter his own approach.

“Well, at least try to give leaving it to people actually handling the assignment a shot. We haven’t given up on finding them just because it’s been put in someone else’s hands. Besides, if you’re having trouble remaining objective, you need to distance yourself from the situation anyway. The Prominents and Masters frown on Devas getting obsessive about their work.”

Shion was aware of that and even agreed with the reasoning behind it: people who got obsessive over seeing an assignment to completion were more likely to make decisions they would come to regret or take actions that would reflect badly on the organization. The Devas needed the trust of the general population to operate in the manner best suited to protect them. They needed the freedom that trust allowed and too many actions that brought their manner of operations into question would hinder that trust. Therefore, Devas had to have their heads on straight, had to think clearly at all times and receive counseling and prove themselves capable of doing their jobs right if they started taking actions the organization wouldn’t want to be accountable for. And they took accountability for everything, the good and the bad.

However, Shion simply didn’t believe that he was anywhere close to doing anything that would indicate his decisions to be compromised by some personal vendetta. Not only did he just outright not have the rank to go through with any ideas he might have, but he was still just operating under the primary goal of seeing that the Oni be apprehended; there was nothing against the values of the Devas in that. He merely wanted to still be involved. There was nothing wrong with that.

He took a moment to complete another scan of the crowd around him. His gaze passed over people walking around him easily until he caught something out of the corner of his eye, his eyes snapping back in that direction at what he thought had been the discharge of an Oni’s core. But when he focused on the spot he was sure it had come from, he didn’t see it again. There were only a few people in that direction and there was either no core in them or they were simply users, no Oni to be seen. He considered that it was just his mind playing tricks on him: catching something in his peripherals and his high alert toward seeing Oni causing him to think anything moving that had similar color to the discharge of an Oni had convinced him he’d seen just that. It was just his mind meeting his expectation.

He turned his focus back to Yamase and covered his action with a question. “Can I ask you something and get an honest response?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“You know why I don’t want to finish the combat training required to advance.”

Yamase shrugged as he slipped his hands into his jacket pockets. “I guess. I mean as well as anyone knows.”

“Do you agree with Shohei? Do you believe I should just not be a Deva if I’m not going to complete all the training required for me to even be allowed to go past the level that all people coming into the organization start at?”

“I think that if the Prominents really wanted that to be a factor, they would have made it part of the mandatory training we all go through instead of it only be required for advancement in rank. Every Deva had their own specialty, developed by a combination of their training, their disposition, their power level and abilities, and their personality. No two Devas are the same and that’s how the Prominents have seen it for at least the past few decades. If they wanted it to be different, they would change it. And it can’t even just be a matter of some old guys clinging to old ways with the cycle of a Prominent holding position.”

There were twenty Prominents total. A Deva wasn’t eligible to be chosen to become a Prominent until they’d been active as a Deva for at least twenty years. Every two years a list of all eligible Devas worldwide was sent to all Devas with a profile of their history with the organization, and then each Deva would indicate which three they wanted to be offered the position. Two were chosen from the results and they were made Prominents as the two current Prominents who had held their rank the longest would be retired. There were no allowances for them regaining the position. Once someone had served as a Prominent, they finished their term and then were not allowed to return to any active position within the organization.

No one really remembered how exactly it had come to be decided on that being how the Devas were run, just that it was pretty much the only thing that had remained exactly the same since the Devas were founded. While policies and procedures were constantly being reevaluated, it was the one constant. Shion hoped that it was because of an inherent understanding that no one should hold as much influence as a Deva Prominent had for an undetermined amount of time.

“You didn’t exactly answer me,” Shion noted and Yamase gave him a shrug.

“It isn’t exactly something anyone but you can really answer, though is it? Only you can say whether or not this is what you want to do with your life. Everyone else can say it all day long, but it doesn’t necessarily change what you want. Besides, they know better than to throw that at you too much; not when you hold the status of the youngest person to become a Deva ever.”

Shion flushed a little; it wasn’t something he screamed from the rooftops because he didn’t believe it really mattered, but other people liked to make it a big deal. And Yamase gave him another grin so Shion knew that was why he’d said it, to get his reaction.

They reached Yamase’s apartment complex then, and the other Deva turned toward Shion before heading toward the door. “Shohei pushes people to get them to grow. You know, the tough love kinda guy. Asaka isn’t much different even though he does tend to have a slightly gentler demeanor about it. They know the division is lucky to have you and just want to see you succeed. Don’t hold it against them. I know that you of all people is aware of just how many people out there have some ability that would make all the difference to us but either never bother training seriously with their cores or they don’t want to become a Deva or they’re Chimeras so they can’t.” That was a fair – and accurate – point. “If you feel like you need to figure some things out, figure them out. Just don’t let Shohei or Asaka be the reason you doubt yourself.”

Shion nodded with a smile, “Thanks, Yamase. I appreciate you saying so. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Right. Take it easy,” Yamase waved and turned to head toward the door as Shion continued on down the street.

He was about to turn the corner when he turned around to do a check for Oni, having gotten so involved with the conversation and his thoughts that he’d forgotten for a while longer than he liked. When he looked behind him toward Yamase, he felt his heartrate spike as he saw someone approaching Yamase from behind, their stature slight and their head covered with the hood of a hoodie sweater pulled far forward so that Shion couldn’t tell any features. All that he could see for sure was the miasma of an Oni charged with power around their chest.

They were going to attack Yamase and he wasn’t paying attention, his focus on unlocking the door and getting inside.

Shion turned and took off at a run toward the Oni, calling out “Yamase, look out!”

Yamase responded to the urgency in his voice and tensed before starting to turn, poised to fight. But the Oni was too close and they managed to reach out and press their hand to Yamase’s neck as he was turning, their skin coming in contact with his and he let out a quick shout of pain as he crumpled to the walkway, his own hands moving to suddenly start clawing at the skin where the Oni had touched.

Shion skid to a halt a few meters away, watching Yamase’s reaction to the touch and trying to determine what sort of disposition caused that kind of reaction. But his mind went blank as he watched Yamase obviously suffer with whatever was done to him. His skin went pale, deathly pale. Then Shion watched as the skin started to wrinkle horribly and his hair lost all color almost in an instant. His hands moved from where they had continued attacking the point of contact to clutch at his chest, his hands thin and appearing so unhealthy.

It was then that Shion realized that he should be able to see Yamase’s core. He was still accessing his own core, after all. But there was nothing. It was like his core was just gone.

Destroying someone’s core was so difficult, especially when they were in good health and their core wasn’t low on power. It protected itself as instinctively as anyone did. It tried to survive. What disposition could so quickly and easily bypass all the defenses like that? And why had it affected Yamase like that, made him age like that. Sure, cores helped the user’s body operate better, but destroying it shouldn’t have that affect. Yamase would have just gotten weaker, maybe gone unconscious. And he may have died soon after, but nothing like what had happened should have.

And Yamase had gone limp, not even convulsing anymore and Shion didn’t know if he was still alive. He was stunned, trying to work out what had happened and likely in shock at what he had just seen. It was possible he’d just watched someone he considered a friend die and he was helpless to do anything about it.

The Oni was right in front of him before he was able to snap out of his daze and instinctively raised his arms up between them as the Oni reached for him as well, hand stretched out to obviously try and make contact with his skin. Luckily, he had brought up his arms enough that the Oni grabbed hold of his forearm near his elbow and not closer to his hand where his skin was exposed.

But the Oni didn’t give him much chance to recover as they reached with their other hand and in his panic to move away, the heel of his shoe caught on the pavement enough that he stumbled. Feeling the grip still on his arm, he didn’t bother trying to catch himself as he fell over, pulling the Oni down as well.

The grip on his arm released about halfway down and as soon as Shion collided with the ground, he struggled to get his legs underneath him, rolling away to his knees and then trying to stand and start putting enough distance between him and the Oni that he could get to his phone and hit the panic button.

He only made it a few steps away when he was grabbed around the ankle and his leg was abruptly pulled out from under him even before he really got his balance back and he was back down. He quickly rolled to his back and kicked out with both feet, keeping his eyes closed so he wouldn’t be distracted by what he would see.

After a few attempts and mere flails, he felt one foot connect with what might have been a shoulder from the amount of mass he felt himself impact and hearing the Oni growl out words he couldn’t make out. But it didn’t seem to make much difference as two hands took firm hold of his ankle and yanked at his leg, pulling it out straight and closer to them. He then felt one hand let go and it reached up toward the top of his pants. They were going for his skin again aiming for under his shirt, which would be easier to get to with him wearing just a jacket and a loose sweater that wasn’t tucked in. He tried to kick out again, but the Oni had apparently pulled themselves closer to Shion and he could feel his knee bump into their chest as he bent his leg to kick out. He couldn’t get enough bend to deliver an effective hit and they were about his size and he wasn’t positioned well to dislodge them from that position so he simply focused on trying to pull himself away, moving as much as he could to try and prevent them from getting their hand under his shirt to the skin of his stomach.

He didn’t feel anything when the contact was made. From Yamase’s reaction, it had seemed practically instantaneous. But just as he was about to plant his feet and shove himself away, he felt the first hints of pain, his skin feeling like it was burning even as the feeling spread through his torso, seeming like it was clenching around his heart and lungs and inhibiting his breathing.

This wasn’t a hallucination like he’d felt the other day. He didn’t need to feel it for long to know that much. It was as though he could actually feel his body start to shut down and he felt his throat strain, realizing that he was screaming.

Then the sensation reached past his chest and up his neck and into his head and he lost all awareness except for a blinding, all-encompassing pain that shut out his awareness of everything else.

His core, his panicked mind suddenly screamed to his staggering awareness. The sensation had been seeking out his core. It hadn’t spread down, where no core would be centered. It had gone to his heart then up to his brain and it was when it reached his brain, where his core was centered, that he felt the change.

The Oni was a Plague, able to affect the functionality of the body, even infect it, by touch alone. And this Plague found out how to kill cores with their ability.

He couldn’t counter that, not with just a Clairvoyant core. His core was solely observational. It couldn’t interact with other cores and only intervened with his vision.

At the edge of his awareness, he heard a yell and a curse as there was suddenly less of a burn around his stomach. He hadn’t realized that the Oni was still in contact with him. He hoped – despite what he’d witnessed with Yamase – that the touch being removed would mean the Plague’s influence over his body would dissipate but he continued to struggle to remain conscious.

He felt like staying awake was important but couldn’t place why he thought that. And it was so difficult. He couldn’t take so much pain, he knew it. He wasn’t a fighter. Everyone knew he wasn’t a fighter. They wouldn’t ask him to try.

“Shion!” a voice that seemed so distant called out to him. He tried to focus on it, but there was just so much that he had to work through to even be aware of it and he struggled. “You moron, you don’t give up like that!” the voice continued.

Was that Nezumi? It couldn’t be Nezumi: he had no reason to be there yelling at him. He was in the wrong part of town for Nezumi to just show up like he had before, meaning he was in a better part of the city and that wasn’t where he should be running into Nezumi.

“Damnit, Shion, focus!” There were hands on either side of his face, fingers digging in to his cheeks and temples, Shion surprised that he could feel it through the stabbing pain in his skull. “You open your eyes and look at me right now!” he was demanded.

Shion found himself responding, feeling the need to answer that demand. He really wanted to know if Nezumi was really there or if he was imagining things with the stress of the attack on him. But his eyes wouldn’t be deceived, not still connected to his core as he was. Because he was a Clairvoyant and his abilities were strong enough that the one sense that shouldn’t be able to be deceived was his vision. He would just see it for a core’s power that it was.

His eyes cracked open and he let out a groan with his hoarse voice with the effort that took. He’d screamed a lot for his throat to be that rough and he could feel that his eyes were damp. But that was all he could identify through the intense pain still coursing through him: his body was still failing, though it seemed to be taking a lot longer than it had with Yamase. Was it because his core was so limited on what it affected, Yamase’s core being centered in his heart as it had been?

Were his limitations as a Clairvoyant what was saving him now?

He couldn’t actually see anything clearly, but he was aware that there was someone hovering over him. He forced his eyes open just a little more and recognized the unique slate grey eyes that he had never forgotten once since seeing them three years ago.

Nezumi really was there, helping him.

Why?

There was a sudden spike of pain radiating out from his core and he let out a scream as his hands flew up toward the point of pain. He’d just felt his fingernails biting into his skin when they were grabbed in a secure hold and pulled away from him and he became frustrated at not being allowed to do _something_ to deal with the agony. Maybe if he could get his hands on it, he could get rid of the pain.

“Stop!” he exclaimed yanking at his hands to free them from the secure grip Nezumi had on him.

His chest suddenly exploded in pain and he felt it all the way down to his fingertips, which seemed to jolt at the sensation.

And, surprisingly, Nezumi let him go.

But his focus was turning inward again, unable to ignore the pain and he felt a shift occur that really terrified him: he couldn’t feel his core anymore. So far, while it had been on the edge of his awareness as he endured the attack on it, he could still feel its existence. But not anymore. There was just nothing there when he reached for it.

And if the Plague had succeeded in destroying his core, it would finish destroying his body like it had with Yamase.

He didn’t want to die, not like this.

He was aware of hands grasping at his again and pulling them away from where he’d been clutching at his head like he’d wanted before, barely registering Nezumi exclaiming, “Are you shitting me?” as he continued to struggle against the restraining grip. None of that mattered. The only thing that really mattered was that he didn’t want to die and this was going to kill him. He needed to stop the destruction of his body from the inside.

The destruction of his core needed to stop. The stress the destruction of a core put on the body alone could be fatal. If it happened when his body was already struggling, death would be practically guaranteed. The user’s body came to depend on the core to operate. It helped them function better and to be without it would be like losing a lung.

The Plague’s effect on his body had to be stopped. And while they were no longer in contact with him, it was still their core’s discharge and power that was fueling the attack on his system. The attack needed to stop. The Plague’s influence over him needed to stop, just like the Projector’s hallucination had been stopped the other day. The Plague’s power needed to get out of him.

“Get out. Get out. Get out.”

He didn’t realize he’d started muttering the thought aloud, but with every time he said it, he felt a warmth within his mind that was foreign and familiar all at the same time.

His core?

Was his core fighting back? Had he found the right mindset to help it tap into its own instinct to survive?

The pain was dissipating. It was working. He continued doing exactly that: thinking of how the Plague’s power needed to leave him and muttering “get out” over and over again until he felt his strength abandon him and he lost all awareness and consciousness.


	7. Protect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nezumi witnesses Shion's attack and steps in to fight for him...

This was all his stupid core’s fault, Nezumi reiterated to himself, shoving his hands deep into his pockets and doing everything he could to look unapproachable. It wasn’t as difficult as he might had assumed it would be considering he obviously didn’t really fit in around this area. He was accustomed to people randomly hitting on him, but that didn’t seem to be a thing around here.

People were weird.

Shion and his Deva friend would be turning at the end of the street and then would be at the other guy’s apartment and then Shion would continue on for another seven blocks to the place he shared with his mom, a bakery with a living area as a second floor.

Nezumi knew this because he’d been tailing Shion for the past two days after he got off work.

Again, it was all his core’s fault. That’s what he got for having a Qilin disposition, a core that was all about barriers and protecting people. And, sure, “experts” claimed that the core didn’t affect decisions or reasoning skills, but Nezumi doubted that was as accurate as they wanted it to be. He was certain he wouldn’t be feeling such a strong need to make sure that idiot didn’t get himself killed just because Nezumi was looking the other way for a few days if it weren’t for the Qilin core.

He was just really certain that there was something to worry about. Shion did too, apparently, considering he’d actually taken Nezumi’s advice and had taken up walking home with an escort. But Nezumi recognized the one who had been walking home with Shion as one of the Devas that had left the apartment complex the other day in an ambulance and that didn’t instill much confidence in his ability to handle an attack. Deva or not, some people just didn’t have what it took.

Nezumi noticed the shift in Shion’s attention and he ducked back behind a group of people passing and then around the corner of a nearby building. At least Shion appeared to be paying some attention on his own. Nezumi would have lost all confidence in him then and there and left him to his inevitable demise if he hadn’t seen that little bit of caution from Shion. It wasn’t nearly thorough enough and didn’t happen often enough to really be useful, but it was better than nothing.

He also had to remind himself that Shion could pick up a hell of a lot more just by looking around than Nezumi could. Or at least, what he saw was different and not to be readily dismissed.

Nezumi gave it a little time, letting Shion get his check done and get focused back onto his conversation with his friend.

When it had been enough time, he stepped back out into the light flow of pedestrians, not many people out as they moved further away from businesses and further into the residential area.

This was ridiculous. He either needed to approach Shion or call it quits following him. If any of his little Deva buddies actually caught sight of him and looked him up, coming across what was probably a flagged file warning that even though he wasn’t an Oni when he was thirteen, he was still involved in suspicious activity. He didn’t need that sort of attention, not when he still had plenty he had to do and needed to be free from observation to do it. Just because he’d stumbled back across Shion after three years didn’t change that.

But damned if Shion wasn’t as captivating now as he’d been when they met and he saved a stranger after just looking at him. It was subtler now, Nezumi had noted, but it was still there. And that was likely a reflection of the training in control the Deva’s put their people through. Or he’d just grown up a little; it was hard to tell without knowing Shion better.

This really wasn’t what Nezumi needed. He had plenty to deal with on his own, he didn’t need other people’s problems as well and he was nearly convinced that Shion was one walking problem.

He was supposed to hear back soon from Inukashi about if she’d found anything about the Sidhe or the Projector so he’d stick it out until then.

Nezumi came around the corner, eyes lifting to make sure he was still enough distance back from Shion to not be noticed, especially as there were less people around, and he momentarily froze at what he saw. He couldn’t believe that the short amount of time he had been out of sight of them had resulted in what he saw now.

Shion was on the ground with someone pulling on his legs and trying to keep from being kicked by his flailing legs as he tried to get away as what looked like an elderly man lay on the top step leading into the apartment building, seemingly dead.

Where was the other Deva?

As Nezumi took off at a sprint, he allowed the irritated thought that this was one of those times that he thoroughly hated being right. He really hadn’t wanted to be right about a continued threat to Shion because that Oni had seen his ID.

When he heard a scream from Shion, he noticed that the person attacking him had gotten a hand under his shirt and was pressing into the skin of his stomach and that was all the hint Nezumi needed that he had to keep his distance. He reached with his right hand to his back, pulling the knife he had concealed under his belt out and flipped it open with practiced ease before slowing down enough that he could gauge his distance. He then threw the knife, deeply satisfied when it imbedded into the Oni’s bicep of the arm that was extended to remain in contact with Shion’s skin.

The Oni yelped in surprised pain as they jerked their arm back and grabbed at the knife, pressing against the wound but not pulling the knife out. They looked toward Nezumi as he continued running toward Shion, who was still groaning and writhing on the ground so whatever the Oni had done wasn’t stopped by removing the contact. Nezumi reached into the left pocket of his pants and pulled out another of his knives, sliding it open once it was clear of his pocket and making a show of switching it to his right hand.

He was only a few meters away now when the Oni stood and started running in the opposite direction. Nezumi increased his pace, using the height advantage he had over the Oni – them only coming to his shoulder – to close the distance with only a few long strides, and then he lunged to the side and kicked out to the back of the Oni’s knee, knocking them down and then turning through with the kick so he didn’t go down as well. He spun quickly to face them again as they rolled with the momentum and came up to their knees in a smooth motion.

The hood they had covering their head had been pushed back and he realized that he could tell it was a female, then took in what he could of her revealed appearance because he didn’t think he’d be able to make her a priority, not when Shion was still suffering behind him.

Early twenties, hair dyed blonde and seemed to be short if what he could see in the gaps of the hood around her neck was any indication, Japanese but skin an unhealthy pale shade, light brown eyes, possibly anger issues if the rage on her face was anything to go by. The last thought he almost said aloud just for the hell of it. He’d only stabbed and kicked her over after all, no reason to get that pissed.

Observation done, he sprang back into action, swinging his knife in a close line from his side toward the Oni, hoping to at least give her something a bit more debilitating than a knife in the arm. But she was still quick and used how her legs were curled under her to spring up and away from him.

She gave him a smirk as she turned to run. “Like I’m gonna stick around now. Job’s done,” she called back to him and he didn’t even bother pursuing her any further, turning instead to go right for Shion.

Not that he had any idea what he could do to help. This wasn’t a Projector planting a damn good hallucination that he could break with just his voice mixed with a touch of his own abilities. He didn’t know what she’d done, his knowledge of the different dispositions mediocre, only learning what he had to based on what he’d have to deal with. All he knew was that Shion was gasping on the ground, his eyes clenched shut and looking like he was struggling against himself just to keep existing.

He had to at least _try_ , even if he was certain it wouldn’t matter.

He kneeled down next to Shion, calling out the other teen’s name and barely receiving any change to tell him that Shion was even aware that he was there and had spoken to him. But as he started reaching out for Shion, figuring he might be able to figure something out if he was in contact with him, he noticed a change in the movements of Shion’s body. He wasn’t moving so violently now, his cries of pain were weakening, he wasn’t struggling.

Nezumi saw that for what it really was: a surrender. Shion was giving in instead of keeping up his fight like he had when he’d been hit by the Projector. That couldn’t happen: the body gave up when the mind did. Shion had to keep fighting until Nezumi figured out how to help him. So he declared to Shion, “You moron, you don’t give up like that!” And it wasn’t just him telling Shion what he had to do: it was one thing about Shion that he’d nailed right off the bat when they’d met, that he didn’t give up. He didn’t stop when others might, didn’t give up because people said he should.

He’d become a Deva at a young age because of that, Nezumi was sure.

But Shion still didn’t respond like he wanted him to, so he took it to the next level. He tapped into his core, building up the slightest amount of power in his hands and then he grabbed onto Shion’s face, the gathered energy rippling between his skin and Shion’s as he spoke again, about insistent as he could get, “Damnit, Shion focus! You open your eyes and look at me right now!”

While he felt some relief at how Shion was apparently responding to him, his eyes slowly cracking open and looking up at him, Nezumi knew he wasn’t making a difference with his core. None of his abilities were going to make a difference here and so he pulled away from his core and the glow around his hands dissipated. And Shion was still suffering, his body still convulsing in pain and his skin pale and covered in a layer of sweat. He was getting weaker as whatever the Oni did to him still affected him. Despite that, Nezumi could also see that he wasn’t unaware, he was still conscious of what was going on. That was something, at least.

Not that he had much time to try and think of something else to do to help Shion now because Shion was suddenly screaming and reaching up to try and dig his fingers into his head, obviously in response to a spike in pain. Something had changed and whatever was happening to him was worse. Nezumi reacted immediately, grabbing onto Shion’s wrists to pull his hands away from his skin, not wanting him to claw at and hurt himself.

Shion fought against him and suddenly yelled at him, telling him “Stop!” as he gave a solid yank and Nezumi had to grip tightly to keep hold.

But then there was a jolt through his body, feeling like he’d been electrocuted and he let go and shook out his hands where it had come from. He looked at his hands, seeing a shimmer of core energy.

What the hell?

On an instinct, Nezumi reached for his core again and frowned when he couldn’t access it. He could still feel it within his heart, dispersing energy as it usually did, but it was like there were no connections between his mind and the core. It wasn’t a seal, he was sure: the user couldn’t feel the core anymore if it was sealed.

Shaking off his confusion, Nezumi focused back on Shion, who had clutched at his head again, his nails scratching against his skin, drawing blood. Nezumi grabbed hold again and kept Shion from causing himself more damage. In a desperate reaction, he reached for his other core, the one centered in the left hemisphere of his brain. He had no idea if it would make a difference but he was grasping at straws now.

And then he let out a frustrated “Are you shitting me?” when he realized that he was cut off from that core as well. Everything he knew to rely on either wasn’t going to do him any good now or he couldn’t access. This was ridiculous.

Just as he was really starting to get irritated with the state of things and just how little he could do besides watch Shion suffer and likely die, there was another change in the other teen. He stopped struggling against Nezumi’s grip and his body began to still, his breathing evening out somewhat even though there were still catches to indicate he was still in pain. And he started murmuring, repeating “Get out” over and over again, his voice resolute even in its weakness. But what had happened? There was nothing to indicate that there should have been any difference.

He remained in that state for a good minute before Nezumi realized that he had a chance to maybe do something to really help. But because he was still as useless in the situation as he’d been a minute ago, that meant that he had to get someone else involved.

Nezumi wasn’t used to even having the option of calling on someone for help; that would be his excuse when he was inevitably asked why he didn’t call for help sooner. He wasn’t a Deva or a U.E.A. agent. He was a civilian who had once been accused of being an Oni. He was always on his own so why should some act of calling on others be an option that occurred to him quickly.

He risked letting go of Shion’s hands and then started patting down the other teen’s pockets, certain that Shion would have some way of contacting the Devas. They were too careful in general to not have some sort of panic button for just this sort of occasion. He found Shion’s cell phone and pulled it out of his pants pocket and lit up the screen, then hit the icon to make an emergency call.

He held it up to his ear as it gave half a ring and then connected, Nezumi feeling his heartrate increase slightly as Shion suddenly went limp, unconscious. Nezumi immediately reached out with his free hand and pressed his fingers to Shion’s neck, feeling for a pulse, letting out a heavy sigh when he found it at once. It was weak and not at any sort of normal pace, but it was _there_.

“The GPS has been activated. Reinforcements are estimated to be two minutes away,” an automated voice stated through the phone and Nezumi pulled it away from his ear to look at it in confusion. It was a call directly to the Devas, not emergency services?

Great, now he knew he was going to have to spend the next few hours convincing someone he still wasn’t an Oni.

He kept one hand at Shion’s neck, his fingers resting on his pulse to count beats and the other turned off the phone and slid it into his pocket, then he gave in to a sudden urge and took Shion’s hand in his own, holding it loosely to feel the warmth of the other teen’s skin against his own.

Nezumi was still going to blame his damn Qilin core for all this, regardless of it being cut off from him at the moment. It was still completely its fault.

Because he sure as hell wasn’t going to blame the guy that nearly died and he felt better having something to direct his ire toward.

* * *

An hour later was a completely different story: whatever the guy’s name that was apparently in charge of Shion, that’s who really should be blamed, Nezumi decided. And he was about as much of a pain in the ass as any authority figure with some rank behind him, so it was easy.

He’d been one of the first to arrive on the scene after Nezumi made the emergency call, Nezumi recognizing him from the other day and while he was sort of sure he’d heard his name at some point, he simply didn’t care enough to try and remember or ask now. He took one look at Nezumi crouched over Shion and the dead body nearby and then called in to relay that the medical team on site was the priority. At least he hadn’t tried to pull Nezumi away from Shion before the ambulance arrived and Nezumi had to make room for the Regens to get to work on Shion, trying to figure out what was wrong with him. The human medical practitioner talked to Nezumi, getting the details of what he’d witnessed from him to help them out before they crowded closer around Shion’s still body and Nezumi was cut off from the other teen, which he had to suppress the urge to protest even as he knew it was for the best that he stay out of their way.

The Deva had approached Nezumi then, beginning his own more serious questioning of what had happened. Nezumi went along with it well enough, only caring that he maintained a visual line on Shion so he could see if anything took a turn for the worse with his care. He wouldn’t let Shion go now that he’d seemed to at least stabilize.

And then the Deva asked him something that really did surprise him, something that made him wonder if he should have noticed it without it being told to him: “You came on the scene after Yamase had been killed, then, right? You didn’t witness anything about what put him in that state?”

The dead old guy was the Deva that he’d seen a few times now? He looked to where one of the Regens had gone over to the body and was checking it over, focusing for really the first time himself and realizing that, yes, the clothing did match. But that was it. That body was not the early-twenties Deva that had been walking with Shion just over an hour ago. At least nothing about it would have led anyone to think that.

At his delay in answering, the Deva followed his line of sight and then let out a heavy sigh. “As unbelievable as it seems, we have confirmed that to be the body of Yamase. In addition to the ID, phone, and clothes, fingerprints and preliminary blood-type are a match. But his core was destroyed, so we can’t check that for an additional confirmation. But Shion had been leaving work with Yamase over the past week while he was recovering from his injury and this is Yamase’s apartment complex. Everything in our initial checks say that is Yamase and the Regens suspect that the same thing would have happened to Shion if whatever it was that the Plague did to his system hadn’t been stopped.”

And then Nezumi was figuring that he definitely should have thought of the Oni responsible being a Plague. Regardless of his priorities lying in making sure Shion stayed alive, he should have had enough working brain cells to work out “Plague” from what had happened to Shion.

Nezumi continued with his statement, giving his description of the Plague Oni as best as he could, and making sure that they knew exactly where she had been after he’d stabbed her just in case she left them some blood to work with. Nezumi wanted to see her caught and punished for what she had done, attacking a guy just because he was inconvenient.

He didn’t usually get that inflamed about bad things happening, but he’d already been faced with how things were just different when Shion was involved today. He was tired and anxious and just didn’t have the energy to worry about curbing any of these strong reactions he was having to the situation.

The Regen that had been working on Yamase approached then and passed off a tablet to the lead Deva, the man looking over it quickly, then glanced up at Nezumi and seemed to be debating whether or not to share what he’d read.

Nezumi just stared at him with an intense, expectant look and waited, determined that he wasn’t going to say another word until he got something in return, something real that might explain what happened with Shion.

At least the guy got over it and decided to share. “This is just the preliminary evaluation of Yamase from the Regen so there will be some details that we’ll have to wait for. From what they can determine by the state of his body, the Plague created an infection in the connections between the core and his heart, the ones that take in the kinetic energy produced by the heart to power the core. Once the infection was in place, every beat of Yamase’s heart hastened the effects of the infection, causing a chain reaction in his body that gradually destroyed his body while also outright destroying his core. And once his core was destroyed, the shock caused his body to fail.”

“So why does he look like that?” Nezumi asked, glancing over to the body quickly.

“They believe it is another aspect of the infection, speeding up the decay of the body’s cells so there would be more strain to the body, killing him faster. They’ll be able to answer that with certainty after a full evaluation and autopsy.”

“And what about Shion? That isn’t what happened with Shion. And his core isn’t in his heart.”

“Maybe that’s why it didn’t affect him the same. That’s something we’ll have to wait for further evaluations on him to get an answer for. That’ll be done when they get him to the hospital. Until then, all we have to go on is his current state and your statement. Though they are certain that Shion’s core wasn’t destroyed, that it is definitely still active though the connections are damaged and will need a Regen to help them start to recover. They believe that because his core wasn’t destroyed, the infection didn’t have the same level of circulation throughout his body, didn’t cause as much damage. They believe he is out of danger and that between doctors and Regens, there should be minimal permanent damage, if any.”

“What about the Oni?”

The Deva ran his hand through his hair briefly, Nezumi raising an eyebrow at the show of what could be considered weakness. “I’m not aware of any Plagues active in the area, Oni or not. But with your description and the blood we found from you wounding her, we should be able to find something that can help us identify and detain her.”

“Right, because your success record of late has been the stuff of inspiration worldwide.” He was being given another cold look and he just raised an unconcerned eyebrow at the Deva. This guy was too prim to be even mildly intimidating to Nezumi. “If you’d caught the Oni from the other day, this wouldn’t have happened. And here I thought you guys looked after your own since a dead Deva does you no good.”

“If I had known there was a reason to be concerned for Shion’s safety to this degree, he would have been protected accordingly.”

Nezumi wanted to roll his eyes at the realization that Shion didn’t actually tell anyone about the whole Oni seeing his ID and that possibly putting him at risk. Which meant the other Deva had no clue he was supposed to be on alert. Which made his presence pointless.

That airhead…

What was the point of Shion being a member of one of the most powerful organizations in the world if you didn’t use it when you needed to? Keeping his own ass safe should have been a breeze with him having the best connections around when it came to users. But he hadn’t used them and now look at the mess he was in.

“What about you?” the Deva suddenly asked him. He just gave an inquisitive sound and figured he was about to get the third degree he’d been waiting for. After all, he wasn’t one of them so what reason did they have to trust him? “Shion’s history with you is included in his file because of the significance it held in him being accepted as a Deva while only thirteen. He made it very clear that he didn’t know you before defending you that day. And he trusts you for whatever reason, though I don’t understand it and that trust doesn’t extend to me in the least. You have shown up too often in the past few days for me to simply accept it as coincidence.”

“Wow, just the level of wrong you are with this line of thought is simply pathetic. I mean, Shion’s been off but he’s got nothing compared to you.” He was really pissing the Deva off now, regardless of how reasonable of a job he was doing in keeping from lashing out at Nezumi. “Really, have you never had a source? Someone not actually affiliated with the Devas or an agent, just someone who knows where to get information you need. If this is what I’d have to deal with from anyone who wasn’t Shion, not even his charming personality would be enough to balance that out enough to be worthwhile. I guess you’re just gonna have to be the one to break it to everyone that the one person who was trying to help is bailing because of your attitude alone.”

The Deva appeared to have lost some of his steam then so Nezumi felt like his bout of throwing more words around than normal was worth it. It was completely possible that somewhere in this guy, there was some care for Shion. Nezumi just thought it shouldn’t have been buried under so much crap personality; and that was _him_ criticizing that. That this was probably the one person who really could make it so Nezumi lost access to Shion occurred to him, but instead of making him back off only made him want to push harder, to fight. Almost like there was some measure of having to prove himself worthy, which was ridiculous.

They were interrupted by one of the Regens who had been working on Shion approached and called out to the Deva. “We’ve stabilized him enough that we feel comfortable stopping treatment until we get him to the hospital,” she declared as she gave a cautious glance between the two men, likely picking up on the tension between them. “We’ve done all we can here.”

“I understand. Make sure he is kept under secure observation once he’s set. We can’t assume there’s not still a threat toward him after what has happened,” the Deva instructed smoothly, regaining the even tone and demeanor he’d maintained when he wasn’t talking to Nezumi.

“Of course. We’ve already called ahead and made sure that one of the secure private rooms are prepared for him.”

“I’ll contact his mother and will get a list of people approved to visit him.”

Feeling like this was where he had to make things clear, Nezumi stepped forward and said, “I’m going.”

The Regen looked over to the Deva, obviously checking with him without actually asking. Nezumi saw how the Deva seemed like he was hesitating to answer and he was about to turn his declaration into a veiled threat when he saw a shift in the man’s posture. Not exactly giving in, but at least accepting.

“This is Nezumi Kaneda. He’s a close civilian friend of Shion’s and the one who called in the attack. He isn’t considered a threat against Shion.”

The woman simply nodded acceptance and moved on, addressing Nezumi, “Very well. Are you going to ride in with us?”

“Yes,” was his immediate answer. Even with the Deva giving the okay for him to continue seeing Shion, he wasn’t going to risk anything changing that between here and the hospital. “If you want anything else from me, that’s where I’ll be.”

“Thank you,” the response sounded automatic instead of genuine and did a reasonable job of covering the man’s real feelings toward Nezumi.

At least that had brought an end to Nezumi having to deal with him as he’d been allowed to follow the gurney Shion had been loaded onto and rode in with him to the hospital. At least there he wasn’t treated with any animosity, the doctors treating him as just another person connected with a patient. And regardless of how much Nezumi despised hospitals and doctors, there was enough he had to keep up with concerning the progress of Shion’s care over the next few hours.

Hours of Shion being put through just about every test there was, all to determine that, yes, his Clairvoyant core had survived and had successfully began recovering and reestablishing the damaged connections with Shion’s mind.

The tests also confirmed that Shion had awakened a Wraith core in his heart and a Dispel core centered in the right hemisphere of his brain where his Clairvoyant core wasn’t.

After being delivered that news once Shion was being settled in his very private room, Nezumi had dropped into the chair next to the bed and leaned in close to Shion to accuse him, “I knew you were a contrary idiot, but this is taking it too far. I bet you went out and got yourself two new cores just because I warned you against it.”

And with Shion still unconscious, Nezumi could let himself be impressed by just what Shion had done in his struggle to survive. Having a core awaken in response to a traumatic event or as a means of survival happened semi-regularly, especially if the person was already a user and hadn’t gone through any in-depth training with their existing core. In many cases, that first use was capable of putting out higher power and responded to the instinctual reactions of the person. So, a person could accomplish more than they would once the danger passed and might demonstrate abilities that they would have to work back up to being able to use again.

This may all just be bored speculation on Nezumi’s part, but he found himself truly believing that he could accurately figure out why those particular cores had awakened. Shion had awakened one core, knowing that what was threatening him had come from a core and so the Wraith core had formed to make sure a core couldn’t attack him again. And Nezumi was still cut off from his cores, a quick check from one of the Regens estimating that the disconnect would last through the night. And when that turned out to not be what he needed to solve the problem, Shion had awakened a second core that did. And the Dispel core had been what he needed, the ability to meet the power and effects of another core and cancel them out being exactly what was necessary to keep what the Plague had done from advancing any further. Yes, the damage had been done, but without any progression, Shion wasn’t being killed by it anymore.

In trying to get rid of the threat of someone capable of identifying them at a glance, the Oni had created someone significantly more effective against them. And Shion was intelligent enough to become as efficient as he could possibly be if he decided to.

Nezumi settled in for a long night. The doctors had all figured it would be at least another day before Shion woke up, recovering as he was and sleep being the best way for him to get through it. He’d managed to track down a book to read sporadically as he killed time watching over Shion without actually standing guard outside the door. His mind was finally starting to slow down and the day was catching up to him but he still doubted he’d be getting much sleep, not when one of the things that was still unresolved about what had happened was why he still felt such a need to stay with Shion, to be the one that looked over him. He was a skilled fighter, he was very proficient in using his core’s abilities – when he could access them – and he didn’t make a habit of getting attached to anyone. That he had so quickly felt a pull toward Shion and had answered it was something he felt he should be more upset about. Instead, he just realized it was strange for him, dangerous, and there weren’t enough reasons occurring to him to not stick around.

That would probably change as soon as Shion’s mother arrived – apparently, that lead Deva had made her go speak to him first before letting her go to her son which Nezumi was still trying to figure out – and Nezumi would have to explain himself to her. He had no clue as to what he would say, not when he hadn’t really been able to make sure her son stayed safe.

The heartrate monitor attached to Shion suddenly started beeping quicker, an alarm sounding from it and Nezumi looked up to see the other teen thrashing around on the bed, the movements eerily similar to what had happened at the apartment building. Nezumi had sprung out of his seat and had grabbed on to Shion’s wrists before he really considered moving.

 He really didn’t want to see Shion draw more of his own blood. Seeing it once that day had been one time too many.

Then, he almost let go right away when he was surprised by a sudden flash of power around the left side of Shion’s head – where his Clairvoyant core was centered, he noted absently – which was followed immediately by another, and then another, the flashes pulsing in a rhythm to match the beeps on the heartrate monitor. He first thought that it was just power discharge concentrated enough to be visible, but then it brushed against the skin of his hands and he realized that it wasn’t strong discharge, but more of an actual purging of the stored power within the core. Much more potent and not something that should have been happening while Shion was unconscious. That sort of thing took work and concentration, could only be done as a conscious effort and wasn’t really something people stumbled upon learning how to do.

But that became a minimal concern as suddenly with every single pulse, changes were occurring with Shion. It was as though every pulse was draining a bit of color from Shion’s brown hair, making it get more and more pale until it was just white, matching the pillowcase and sheets of the bed and making Shion seem almost translucent. But then his skin started gaining color, leaving behind the pale shade it had been since the attack and suddenly flushing red with inflammation, spreading along his skin in violent red lines that gradually spread in a line from his left cheek, around his head and neck and then disappearing out of sight under his shirt where Nezumi couldn’t follow its path anymore.

He was aware of the door opening and the rush of footsteps approaching him, but it wasn’t until a doctor was pulling on him and demanding he let go that he moved away, another doctor and two Regens moving in to surround Shion, their hands going for his skin already shimmering with their healing power.

The doctor that had pulled him off asked, “What happened?”

Nezumi had never been more at a loss of what to say. He always knew what to say to get the reaction he was going for, so to be floored like this was disconcerting. But then he just spoke somewhat dazedly, “It started suddenly, a pulsing from around his Clairvoyant core. Then he just started changing.”

That was really all he could say, so he went silent as Shion continued to thrash around on the bed while two Regens kept their hands on him, the other two doctors helping to keep him immobilized. This went on for minutes, two more Regens joining in at one point to add their own power to helping Shion. It just seemed like this frozen state of suffering that Nezumi refused to turn away from. He would never forget what Shion went through today, ingraining it deep into his memory because someone needed to know, to understand when Shion woke up and needed an explanation.

When it did finally stop, when Shion’s limbs again went lax against the bed and the hands restraining him could let him go and the room let out a collective sigh of relief, Nezumi still wouldn’t take his eyes off Shion. He only listened passively as one of the first Regens to have helped Shion started talking to the doctors.

“It seems to have been triggered by the last connections between his brain and his core being reestablished, kicking off what appears to have been a dormant aspect of the Plague’s infection. It was likely a last resort in case the user was able to survive the initial attack. But once activated, it used his bloodstream to spread through the body and went for the nerves to overload his system and use his already fragile state against him, sending him into shock. We were able to determine the path and keep ahead of the damage, already increasing healing of the area before it started to be hit. He’ll recover without any permanent damage, though the scarring that showed up as a side effect of the burning of his nerves is not likely to go away.”

“Are you sure?” the doctor asked and Nezumi was able to pick out the anxiety in his tone; good, everyone should be freaked out by this.

“Yes. We found and were able to eliminate that last part of the infection now that it had been activated. There is nothing left of the Plague’s power or influence in him and he can really stabilize now. His core has been completely reconnected as well and will finish recovering through the night. He’s clear.” There was a short pause before she added, “If he hadn’t been here with multiple Regens available to counter the effects, he would have died. Nothing else would have been enough to save him. It took all four of us to really make sure he will come out of this alright. Two more would have been ideal. He was lucky.”

Nezumi didn’t think that was the right word for what Shion had been through that day, alive or not.

He couldn’t be a Deva anymore because he was a Chimera.

His physical appearance was permanently altered.

He had Oni targeting him because of what he’d been able to do before so there was no telling if this would make things worse.

Nezumi really didn’t see what was “lucky” about Shion’s current situation.

He hated doctors.


	8. No Longer Qualified

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shion wakes up in a much different situation than he last remembers...

Shion couldn’t seem to wake up all the way, stuck in some place between being asleep and opening his eyes. That wasn’t really something he’d experienced before and he was unsettled by the sensation. He tried recalling if there was a reason for his body to be acting so strangely and was drawing a blank, which only brought him more stress. It was a vicious circle that he felt was an unfair way to wake up.

Then he heard the beeping, a rhythmic tone that had increased slightly since he first noticed it but was now slowing down again and he recognized it for what it was: a heartrate monitor. That led him to pay closer attention to his body in a manner other than trying to move it. He was in a bed, certainly not his own. His head to his lower back was slightly elevated. There was a slight prick on the back of his right hand and a tickle of something thin running up his wrist and forearm. Something was secured to his chest and temple.

Why was he in the hospital? Regardless of how sluggish he felt, he didn’t feel like he was injured and didn’t recall getting hurt.

Yes, there was a thud of pain around his left temple, but it was no worse than anytime he’d overused his core.

What was wrong with him?

“Finally awake?” he heard a voice from off to his right and he wanted to open his eyes and look over to see who it was, but it seemed to still be too much for him. “You’ve been out for three days. If you’re having trouble moving around, that’s part of the reason. Doctors said to just take your time and everything will work eventually. They suggested only try one thing at a time instead of leaping out of bed.”

Shion hummed in acknowledgement, seeing the sense in the advice, especially knowing that he’d been unconscious for that long, which he could wait to hear about what had happened. So, he made opening his eyes his priority.

It was a struggle that still lasted long enough that Shion was losing his patience, but eventually there was a sliver of light entering his vision and he winced away from it, letting out a groan of discomfort.

“Hold on a second. I’ll get the light.” There was the sound of a chair scraping along the floor next to Shion before he followed the sound of footsteps walking away and then return, the bed dipping next to Shion’s hip as the person sat next to him instead of back in the chair.

It was becoming gradually easier to pay attention to what was going on around him as he woke up, became more aware. That was a relief. And he felt like it wouldn’t be so difficult to open his eyes when he tried again.

“Anytime you want to stop being a lazy ass would be great,” the voice said, sounding amused.

Nezumi, Shion realized. Nezumi was here? That was…unexpected to say the least.

Shion peeled his eyes open again, blinking a few times to make the motion a bit easier, clearing the long sleep from them and adjusting gradually to the remaining light coming in through the window. But it wasn’t the fluorescent lights overhead, so it wasn’t as bad. He spent a few quiet seconds letting the ceiling come into focus for him even as he allowed some of his mind to move on to shifting his hands and arms around, then his legs in a progressive systematic check of his functionality.

His prognosis was that he was weak, but didn’t appear to have sustained any serious, permanent damage from whatever had happened to him.

He thought he remembered being attacked.

Finally, he looked down over to where he felt the weight of Nezumi seated on the bed next to him and his eyes met the other teen’s.

Nezumi looked surprised, though he appeared to get over it quickly and his expression settled into something more normally passive for him.

“How do you feel?” Nezumi asked.

Regardless of how Shion had already been considering how he felt as he came awake, he still paused before answering. “As well as to be expected after being out for three days. Sluggish, weak, and a little sore.” He hesitated before he added, “Also a bit confused. I don’t recall what happened for me to be in the hospital.”

Nezumi frowned but answered, “Yeah, the doctors said it might not be there when you first woke up but that you should remember. Feels like you’re able to move around alright.” He gave Shion’s leg a nudge with his elbow before he shifted position a little to be sitting a bit closer to Shion’s head. “You were attacked by an Oni, a Plague. She got a hand on you, infected you with her power and it attacked your core.”

He recognized the idea, had the feeling that he had thought that recently, that he’d been attacked by a Plague and it was affecting his core.

He’d thought his core was destroyed. Was it?

Shion had to know, reaching out in his mind for his core, letting out a breath of relief when he immediately felt its warmth respond to him.

And then he started recalling the rest of it. Turning around and seeing Yamase being attacked. Watching Yamase die from what the Plague had done to him. Fighting off the Plague himself but not being able to keep them from infecting him. It got hazier after that, only seeming to get impressions of what happened. Struggling against the pain he’d been taken by, thinking that he had to get it out. He even vaguely recalled the surprise of Nezumi showing up but that was it. He admitted that it wasn’t much to remember for sure, especially for someone like him, with his photographic memory and recorded above average IQ. And while what would matter more would be having an eidetic memory, he wasn’t in the best state to appreciate the difference.

“Why were you there, Nezumi?” he had to ask. Because Nezumi disappeared; that was what he did throughout their few interactions together. If he wanted to learn anything, he had to do it quickly before Nezumi left again.

Nezumi shrugged his shoulders and Shion thought he wouldn’t answer, but then he let out a sigh and spoke, “I was following you, making sure you took me seriously.”

“What?” Shion almost didn’t believe him, despite that he hadn’t noticed Nezumi to have ever lied to him. If it was something he didn’t want to tell Shion, he just didn’t tell him instead of lying.

“I’d been making sure you were okay. I was letting you get some distance so you didn’t see me when you were attacked. I caught up too late but was able to get her off you. I stabbed her in the arm and your buddies were able to get a blood sample from her. I think they even got an ID on her from that but I’m just a lowly civilian and that’s beyond my pay grade to be told.”

“Yamase, he’s dead, isn’t he?” Shion had to know that for sure. He was hoping that he was remembering wrong.

“Yeah, he’s dead. Sorry.”

Shion lifted his hand and pressed his hand against his face, rubbing at his temple briefly before he shoved his hand roughly through his hair, ignoring the pull of knots and the dirty feeling from being in bed for three days. He then leaned back and draped his arm over his eyes, taking in a deep breath to calm down the beeping of the heart monitor that revealed how upset he was.

This was Shion’s fault. Maybe if he had told Yamase that he was walking with him partially for defensive cover from someone experienced with fighting and able to counter an Oni, then the other Deva would have actually been prepared for the Plague’s attack. Yamase could have defended himself and would still be alive. Shion had been wrong to attempt being subtle about it but had dismissed there being a real threat to him. After all, he was just an Initiate, just a Clairvoyant. There were plenty of others just like him that made for more reasonable targets for Oni to identify as threats. Shion was not a threat.

A hand grasped at his wrist and pulled his arm down and Shion opened his eyes to look up to Nezumi, the other teen having leaned forward more and was hovering over him, close and intimidating though Shion didn’t feel nervous.

“Don’t you dare shut out what happened. It’s dismissive of his death. And everyone deserves to be remembered, to be allowed to keep on existing in memory. He was your friend, wasn’t he? Well, make sure that’s what you remember. I don’t know of anyone who’d want to be remembered just in their moment of death.”

Shion’s eyes were wide and he couldn’t stop looking up at Nezumi for what he said. He hadn’t expected something like that from the other teen. Then again, he didn’t really know Nezumi so he couldn’t claim something was “like” Nezumi to say.

“You survived. You fought and lived. That’s what matters in the end, that you’re alive.”

Shion frowned, considering that even as his mind was moving forward and trying to fill in the very important gaps. “But how? The Plague’s power, it was meant to seek out and destroy cores. It had destroyed Yamase’s core and I felt it make contact with my own. It had successfully cut me off from my core and I lost all feeling from it. But I don’t really recall anything after that. And it’s not even that it feels unclear like the rest of it; it’s just not there. I don’t feel like I should remember what happened after that.” He paused for a second, realizing something important that might be the only answer he’d need. “Was it you? Is your disposition what saved me?”

“Not exactly.” The response was given in a low voice and Shion was confused at the sudden reticence in Nezumi.

“Nezumi?” he prompted, wanting to turn his hand over and take hold of Nezumi for support, the other teen still gripping his wrist loosely.

“A lot happened, Shion. You need to know that there’s a lot different now.”

“What do you mean? What’s different?”

“You did it yourself. You saved yourself.”

When that was all Nezumi said, Shion frowned deeper and was about to pry further, get some straight answers, when the door opened and Nezumi stood and stepped away from Shion. Shion watched him move before turning to see who had joined them.

“Shion, you’re awake,” Shohei observed with a quick glance at Nezumi, Shion catching the accusation there.

“Yes, a few moments ago. I only just woke up,” Shion clarified, knowing that those two wouldn’t be ones to get along when _he_ didn’t get along with Shohei.

“I’m glad. Three days is a long time to be unconscious, even considering what you went through.” Shohei paused as he focused back on Shion and walked up to the foot of the bed to stand. “How well is your recollection of what happened?”

Never let it be said that Shohei wasn’t direct.

“I haven’t gotten much details from Nezumi, but I’m pretty sure I have a clear enough understanding of what happened until my core was compromised. I remember losing feeling of it and thinking it was destroyed, but then I don’t really recall anything after that. I was just asking Nezumi what had happened, how I survived after that, why what happened to Yamase didn’t happen to me.”

Shohei gave Nezumi a brief cold look before returning his attention to Shion. “It’s not his place to discuss your status. He’s a civilian.”

Shion felt that it wasn’t fair that he wasn’t getting any less confused about what had happened. Shouldn’t there be some rule against confusing someone laying in a hospital bed, that they could only be given straight answers. After all, it couldn’t be good for him.

“What does my status have to do with anything? And wasn’t he a witness so his involvement is inevitable?”

If Shion didn’t know that Shohei always tried to keep a professional persona, he would have thought the man didn’t care about what he was saying. But there was a slight catch in his tone that revealed he was struggling to maintain that now as he answered. “Shion, in order to fight off the Plague’s power infecting your system, you have awakened two new cores: a Wraith core and a Dispel core. These cores awakening were able to remove the infection and save your Clairvoyant core and your life. However, you are now a confirmed Chimera. Your file has been updated and it has been confirmed from the Prominents that no exception will be made for you. You are no longer allowed to be a Deva.”

Shion shot up to a sitting position in his shock but nearly continued falling forward as he moved faster than his body was ready for. Nezumi was at his side though, catching him around the shoulders and holding him until he was balanced and able to hold himself upright. It took a few more seconds for the dizziness to pass and he was aware that Nezumi didn’t back away once he’d let go, remaining standing beside the bed where he could reach out again easily.

Shion looked back up toward Shohei, his eyes pleading, “I’m really a Chimera? _Two_ more cores confirmed?”

He was afraid to reach out to where he knew he’d be able to feel them and get the answer for himself.

“Yes, they are both confirmed to be fully formed and awakened, their connections to your mind and heart strong.”

Shion couldn’t look away, couldn’t move, felt like he couldn’t breathe, and he couldn’t believe it.

He was a Chimera?

But Chimeras weren’t allowed to be Devas. Only users with one core were allowed to be Devas. If he was a Chimera, he couldn’t be a Deva anymore.

What was he supposed to do if he wasn’t able to be a Deva? It had taken so much to convince them to allow him to become one in the first place and he’d made sure that what he learned lowered the possibility of awakening a second core by having complete, precise control over his core. All that now wasted?

Shohei let out a sigh and crossed his arms. “I’m truly sorry, Shion. I tried talking to the Prominents to encourage them to make an exception, asked if they could hasten their process of reviewing the policy against Chimeras since they are already in discussion over it. I didn’t want to lose two Devas because of one Oni’s attack. But they refused. They all agreed that one person couldn’t be the reason they did something. And I know that, I just believed their answer would be different because it was something they were already discussing.”

Shohei had done that for Shion? He never would have expected that. Sure, it wasn’t like he’d risked anything but the effort was an acknowledgement that he cared, that it mattered to the Senior that he wouldn’t be allowed to be a Deva anymore.

Shion let out a sigh as he realized something important. “No, I wouldn’t want them to feel pressured into making a decision. They have to answer to the world. I’m just one person.” He glanced over to Nezumi, then back to Shohei. “I survived and that’s what matters, right? I can’t do anything if I’m dead. Being a Deva, it isn’t the only way I can help them: that’s why we allow consultants, so we can still have the aid of people who don’t qualify.”

Shohei just stared at him for a few seconds before he replied, “We won’t be able to accept your application as a consultant right away. You’ll have to pass a proficiency test for all three cores, be able to demonstrate a certain level of control over them and not just the Clairvoyant core.”

“I understand.” It may not be an immediate solution to the lost feeling that was hovering within Shion’s mind, but it was _something_ and he needed something. Shion just couldn’t focus enough to figure things out if he didn’t have any direction.

“In the meantime, I will need to take your statement for what you do remember happening. Because Nezumi didn’t arrive on the scene until you were attacked, we don’t have a witness record of what exactly happened to Yamase.”

It took another hour for Shion to recount things to Shohei, his memory still spotty in some areas and he had to take breaks to go over things in his mind and try to get events as clear and accurate as possible. The longer he was awake, the more he was remembering what happened, his mind recovering and kicking in to its usual sharp recall. He was even getting hazy details of what had happened after he’d lost feeling of his core. That comforted Shion and he allowed some hope that he would remember everything that he was awake for eventually.

Nezumi remained silent off to his side, seeming to take in as much as Shohei was despite having been there for some of it; Shion wondered why he was still here, why he hadn’t left as soon as Shohei had arrived. He obviously didn’t like authority figures, so why was he remaining there when he could leave? Shion certainly wasn’t complaining, merely curious and would remain so until they were left alone again.

When they were finished, Shohei obviously preparing to leave, likely to get everything written out into a report, the man hesitated and watched Shion for a few silent moments. Then he declared, “Perhaps it isn’t much, but I’ll make sure that your word is to be trusted within the division. If we see your name attached to a report or recommendation, it will be given as much faith as if you were still one of us. You’ve earned that much.”

“Thank you, Shohei,” Shion replied genuinely. It really was something worthy of showing appreciation for: the Senior allowing him means to still be of use to the Devas even if he didn’t choose to apply as a consultant. Shion was being given respect and he was grateful.

But then Shohei left and it was again just Shion and Nezumi. Shion was tired, feeling the strain of still recovering and he laid back on the pillows with a heavy sigh. He felt the bed dip again at his hip and opened his eyes to look at Nezumi, who appeared to be anxious about something. That was strange, considering everything was out in the open now and Shion knew his situation.

Nezumi broke the silence. “With how that guy just plowed through telling you about being a Chimera, I thought for sure he was going to tell you everything.”

“Is there something he didn’t tell me?” What else was there that could have happened?

“You could say that.”

“What’s wrong?” Shion wanted to sit up again, but his body was too tired to accomplish it so soon.

“It’s nothing wrong.” But Nezumi didn’t elaborate any further and Shion was becoming anxious himself.

“Nezumi, what is it? I need to know everything that happened.”

Nezumi sighed, the sound heavy and he suddenly stood up, but remained next to the bed. “It’ll be easier to just let you see. Think you can make it to the bathroom with help?”

He nodded over toward the door that led to the bathroom and Shion gave himself a quick evaluation. He was tired but he needed to know the answer more than he needed to rest. He could do it as long as Nezumi helped keep him upright. So, he nodded and pulled the sensors for the heartrate monitor off from his chest and the sensor on his temple, reaching over to turn off the machines before they alarmed. He checked the I.V. bag to make sure it was just saline to keep him hydrated before turning that off as well and he removed the extension tube right above where the needle was secured to his hand with medical tape. He’d be able to reset everything easily enough and that’s what he’d been going for.

Nezumi stepped a little closer to him and reached for his arm once he was free to move. Shion slid his legs off the side of the bed and set his feet on the floor, getting a feel for them being under him before gradually sliding off the bed to put weight on them. Nezumi stepping in at once and slid Shion’s arm over his shoulder as his own arm reached around Shion to hold his opposite hip. Once he was situated and reasonably stable, Shion nodded that he was ready and they shuffled toward the bathroom. Nezumi let go of his wrist to open the bathroom door when they reached in and held it open as they stepped inside and turned toward the mirror above the sink to the left of the door.

It wasn’t him reflected in the mirror. Shion didn’t look like that. He had brown hair, brown eyes, didn’t even have any scars to speak of. But white hair, red eyes, and a line of discolored skin that almost looked like a burn spreading down his cheek under his left eye was what comprised the reflection.

He reached up with his free left hand and hesitated before he pushed it into the hair, the image reflecting the action. His hair didn’t feel any different, like it hadn’t before when he’d done it while still in bed, and when he tugged at the hair harshly it hurt. There was a twitch in Nezumi’s hand at his waist and he let go of his hair before the other teen decided to stop him. His fingers went to his cheek and he pressed against the discolored skin. It didn’t feel like it looked. It wasn’t rough or painful, but it was sensitive and he could feel exactly where it was. And as he finally was able to let his focus spread out a little more, he saw that it was wrapped around his neck as well.

He looked over at Nezumi questioningly. “Where…” he managed to croak out but his voice failed him in his shock.

“Regens and doctors have both checked you out: the mark is only on your skin and there isn’t any lasting damage from it. There was a failsafe to what the Plague hit you with, made to trigger if your core reconnected. It spread through your body frying your nerves to send you into shock and make your body fail. The mark was its path.”

That’s why it was on his left cheek: it started where his Clairvoyant core was centered and spread from there.

Nezumi released his hip and his hand reached up over Shion’s shoulder to press to the line on his cheek. He then dragged his finger back into Shion’s hair past his ear and then down toward his neck along crown of his head, dropping down to the line of his hair off to the right of his spine to come into view in the mirror on the opposite side where Shion could see the mark. The fingers went back to the opposite side of his neck and picked up the trace of the mark. It curled over his shoulder and fell down to the middle of his back before curling off toward his side, like it had circled around his heart and Shion wondered if his newly awakened second core had anything to do with that path. The fingers passed along his side at his floating ribs and then curled around his stomach, then Nezumi’s arm wrapped around Shion’s waist as he drew an angled line across Shion’s abdomen to his right hip, then stopped, his hand flattening out on Shion’s hip. Shion’s gaze met Nezumi’s in the mirror and the other teen smirked at him even as he remained close.

“That’s as far down as I’m going. You can look at the rest yourself,” Nezumi said, sounding coy and amused and Shion watched his cheeks flush. “I’ll admit, it’s quite becoming. It suits you.”

Shion looked back at himself, staring into his own red eyes. It would take a really long time to become accustomed to this and he couldn’t say he was in any manner fond of the features. This wasn’t how a sixteen-year-old should look.

“I suppose its fortunate I’m not allowed to be a Deva anymore, especially considering what I did for them. I can’t blend in anymore,” he said, trying to cover up his real response.

“You most certainly don’t.” His hand slid back to Shion’s left hip to return to a stabilizing position and he moved to turn, Shion following the motion. “Might wanna get you hooked back up before one of the doctors see you walking around without them signing off for it.”

Shion nodded and let Nezumi lead him back to the bed, sitting down heavily and feeling the strain of moving around so shortly after waking up quickly. He reached for and reattached the node on his chest and temple first, grateful that he’d known their proper position even before he pulled them off, and then plugged the I.V. back in and then turned everything back on. He laid back down, turning to his right side so he could face toward where Nezumi had dropped into a chair next to the bed, grabbing a book and opening it back up.

He remained quiet for a minute or so, his body molding into the mattress and he figured he’d be asleep again soon.

“Hey, Nezumi?” he asked, his voice thick relaxation.

“What?” Nezumi answered without looking away from his book.

“Will you still be here?”

Nezumi looked up from the book then and their eyes met and held for a few silent moments. “I don’t need to be. My part’s done,” he finally said dismissively and turned back to his book.

“What if I just want you to be?”

Shion knew he wasn’t imagining that something was different between them now. Something about what Nezumi had witnessed in Shion’s attack had altered his looks, his touch. And Shion didn’t want to lose that, wanted to see it grow. He just wanted Nezumi to be close, and that was reason enough for him.

And that did get Nezumi to look at him again, his expression unreadable. “That’s just about the most pathetic thing I’ve ever heard.” Shion just kept watching him, didn’t bite at the tease. Nezumi eventually let out a sigh and rolled his eyes. “I guess we need to figure out what happens next anyway. And at least right now I know exactly where you are.”

Shion would accept that much. It wasn’t what he wanted, but it was a start and that’s all he really needed.


	9. Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shion needs to figure out his life and one day working out in his favor would be a good start...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did forget to mention last chapter to confirm that I did go with the anime layout of Shion's scarring. I mostly just prefer the more random path it runs along his body from the anime than the circling it does in the manga; it's just more visually satisfying to me ^_^.

Shion was released from the hospital the next day – which had been two days ago now – as what they’d been waiting for had been him to wake up. Though they were much more accepting of him leaving when he confirmed that he lived with his mom and not on his own.

He’d barely managed to restrain himself from making a comment about him only being sixteen so of course he wouldn’t be living on his own. But then he recalled that he’d been admitted as a Deva and that could have contributed to the thought that he may be on his own. It was one of the ways that being a Deva could make a difference in the individual’s life, though Shion had never even considered moving away from his mom until he was an adult.

His mom had been at the hospital when he’d been released and Safu had met them at the bakery once they’d gotten home. He’d spent the afternoon relaxing with the two of them and catching up, trying his best to ignore the anxiety that he hadn’t expected to build up in him by being out in the world again.

He hadn’t walked the streets as a civilian in three years. If he got attacked, if an Oni figured out that he’d survived the Plague, then he would have no shortcut to protection, regardless of what Shohei had promised. Because he didn’t have a panic button anymore, or a bracelet that monitored his vitals to make sure that he was alright, or a requirement that he wasn’t allowed to do anything on his own while acting as a Deva. He was simply Shion Himura, a civilian Chimera who only had experience controlling one of his three cores and who hadn’t actually used any of his abilities since he’d developed the other two cores.

And he hadn’t seen Nezumi since he’d fallen back asleep in the hospital, so he was getting gradually more concerned that Nezumi hadn’t meant what he said and wouldn’t be coming back.

Though he had talked to his mom about Nezumi for a while. Apparently, Nezumi had been at the hospital practically the entire time Shion had been unconscious, waiting for him to wake up. He’d mostly kept his distance while Karan or Safu were there, but she’d managed to corner him a few times and talk for a few moments. She’d also brought him food to break up getting meals from the cafeteria. Shion got the impression that his mother was as favorable toward Nezumi as Shion was, though it was likely more to do with how he had saved her son. Safu had become distant when the subject came up, though, so Shion hadn’t been able to find out if she had talked to Nezumi at all.

That had been a few hours ago and Shion had been sequestered in his room since then, claiming that he was tired and wanted to rest. He hadn’t been completely lying, his body still easy to tire regardless of his improvement; he was told by doctors and Regens that it would take another few days for him to really regain his endurance even for just getting through the day. But, ultimately, he hadn’t wanted his mom or best friend to realize that he was having difficulty being home. He didn’t want them to worry, not after everything that had happened.

He sat on his bed, his back against the wall and his legs crossed in front of him, his left leg on top. He’d pulled up the loose pajama pants he’d changed into so he could press his fingers against the scarring that had finished up circling his calf a few times at the end of its path along his body.

Surprisingly, his hair and eyes had been easy to accept changing. After all, it was merely a loss of pigment that had caused the change and, while extremely uncommon for someone his age, there were others in the world who had exactly the same features. For Shion, who thrived on deductive reasoning, that was enough for him to come to terms quickly with those very obvious traits he now had.

The scars, though…

He was always aware of the scars. They were sensitive to touch and all it took was his clothes rubbing against them for him to know exactly where they were. The part that came up his neck and head seemed even more so and he’d already had the debate that morning while getting dressed if it was worth the irritation of wearing something with a high collar.

In the end, he’d gone the route of covering it up and accepting that he’d have to get used to it somehow. But he’d changed as soon as possible into something that would hopefully be easier to tolerate.

But then he started pressing against it on his own, purposefully making himself think about it, about what had caused it.

Why him? Why wasn’t Yamase able to awaken a core and save himself? When a person with an active core’s life was in danger, especially if it was in a manner that allowed them to process and respond to the threat, there was nearly a seventy percent chance of a second core awakening. And while the core that awakened was a disposition that would save their life less than half the time, it still happened.

But not with Yamase.

And Shion had gone both routes: he’d awakened a core that wasn’t what he needed to save himself, then he’d awoken a second that was exactly what he’d needed. And with there being so few dispositions that would have been able to save him from the Plague, he truly had been about as lucky as someone could be to get the right one.

Just because he would have known what would save him if he was looking at events, like reading it in a report, familiar with dispositions as he was, that meant nothing when he’d been dying.

He’d also apparently struck out at Nezumi; one of his doctors had told him that he’d used his Wraith core against Nezumi, cutting him off from his cores for almost twelve hours. He felt really guilty for that. He wondered if that was why he hadn’t seen Nezumi again, that the other teen was really mad at him and had done his due diligence so now he could get his distance and never see Shion again.

Shion let out a heavy sigh and thumped his head back against the wall, frustrated.

He was spinning out, trying so hard but going nowhere. He didn’t know how to handle this, had lost his resources to try and figure it out. He needed help but didn’t know who to ask. Hell, he didn’t know if he was still even in danger, if the Oni believed the attack successful and that he was dead. He wouldn’t put his mother and Safu in danger if he was still going to be targeted. But what could he do to figure out if it was even a concern? He didn’t have a place to start.

Shion startled as fingers wrapped around his hand and pulled it away from his leg. He opened his eyes and looked forward to see Nezumi kneeling on the bed in front of him, watching him with an intense gaze. He looked down and saw that he’d been gripping his leg so hard that the skin around the end of the scarring was turning red.

He’d panicked again.

“If you can’t get a grip, I’m confiscating your right to free thought,” Nezumi declared, Shion finding his choice of words ironically amusing but not enough to regain much composure. “What is your problem?” That was less joking and Shion could now hear the irritation.

“I just…” Shion could only get that much out.

Nezumi rolled his eyes. “You spout some stupid shit about not having anything else now that you’re not a Deva, I will punch you.” Nezumi gave him a severe look and he paused before nodding mutely. “Don’t you dare get all pathetic on me about this, not after what I’ve seen from you. Now, I’m definitely not one who finds heroics appealing; the whole self-sacrifice is about at counterproductive and counterintuitive to your continued health as someone can get. That gets you docked points since it was your heroics that really put you in danger in the first place, trying to help your friend out when you knew they were going to be after you. But a survival instinct that kicks off two cores, that’s something to be impressed by. So, my question to you Shion, is what are you going to do with your newly gained status as a Chimera?”

Shion shrugged. “I haven’t gotten that far. It seemed like recovering was a priority considering all that happened.”

“Really? Because it looks like all you managed was to work yourself up and get all confused. I thought I could give you a few days, since you’re supposed to be a smart one, but looks like I was wrong on that front.”

Shion frowned and felt his temper rise. “Don’t infantilize me. Just because I’m not behaving as you deem appropriate doesn’t mean you can talk down to me like that. I don’t know why I wanted you around so badly,” he finished with a murmur and Nezumi laughed.

“There he is. I was starting to wonder if I’d gotten the wrong white-haired, red-eyed ex-Deva.”

Nezumi let go of Shion’s wrist and reached up to ruffle his hair, which Shion tried to duck away from and his frown deepened. It was obvious Nezumi was now trying to irritate him further.

But Nezumi pulled his hand away quickly enough, then turned so he could recline on the bed, laying against the pillows so he was sitting perpendicular to Shion, his side lined up with Shion’s legs, seeming as comfortable as one could be as he claimed what should have been Shion’s space. But despite that, Shion didn’t actually feel like he’d been infringed on; on the contrary, he was content to have someone nearby and for that someone to be Nezumi helped him feel even more comforted.

“The question still stands, Shion,” he said once he settled back, his arms curled behind his head to prop him up a little more so he could look up at Shion comfortably. “What are you going to do now?”

Shion picked up on a shift in Nezumi’s tone but wasn’t sure what it meant. He wished he had Safu’s ability to read and understand people.

So he just sighed as he clasped his hands together and rested them in his lap to keep them still. “I’m really not sure.”

“Weren’t you talking a big game about becoming a consultant for the Devas? Still working for them even though you don’t qualify?”

Shion shrugged. “I haven’t attempted to use any of my cores since the attack, not even my Clairvoyant core that I am comfortable and experienced in accessing. I’ve felt them, become aware of all three gathering and discharging power and functioning normally, but that’s all. No conscious building of strength.”

“What are you afraid of?”

Shion really needed to stop being surprised by how blunt Nezumi was. He had to understand that Nezumi didn’t alter what he said to spare the feelings of who he was speaking with, instead saying what he was thinking. It was sort of like he was forcing others to deal with reality. And while that may not be the case at all – likely it was more that Nezumi just didn’t care enough to worry about the effort – it was how Shion felt when he said things as brazen as that.

“Doing something I don’t mean to?” Shion responded, not meaning for it to sound like a question but then admitting to himself that he wasn’t actually certain of the answer.

“What, think that you’re going to be unstable now that you’re a Chimera? Think that two cores automatically means there’s no way you can possibly have any sort of control?”

“Of course not. I’m fully aware that with the understanding that we have of cores now and the methodology in training people how to utilize the abilities of multiple cores, many Chimera in the past decade have been recorded to be able to accomplish greater power from each of their cores than most users with a single core. They have also been proven to average gaining fine core control faster because of how they have to organize their thoughts to access the core and ability they wish to use.”

“Hm, well, it sounds like you at least have the right summary of what it’s like to be a Chimera to pull it off. So, try again. What are you afraid of?”

Shion let out a heavy sigh and rested his head back against the wall again. He wasn’t afraid of his core, never had been, not when it had been so easy for him to learn how to access and control it, not when the only one it affected was him. But it wasn’t just his core anymore. Now he had a Wraith and Dispel core to control and balance, learn how to access one without tapping into another by accident, and figure out what abilities he was capable of.

Oh, that was it…

“The Oni tried to kill me because of one thing I was capable of, one ability that was a disadvantage to them. It may take them some time to realize that I survived, if they even care enough to check.” Nezumi gave a short scoff, though Shion wasn’t sure why he’d given such a response, if it was just him thinking that Shion was being foolish again. “What if there’s something else in the Wraith and Dispel cores that brings their attention to me faster, makes them believe I am more of a threat to them than before?”

Nezumi just shrugged at him. “And if there is? It’s not like you have any obligation to keep doing something that uses your cores. You really can do whatever the hell you want. If you don’t want to deal with learning being a Chimera, do something else. Go put your big brain to use and be a researcher or something.”

“That’s what they always expected of me,” Shion found himself sharing, not caring that Nezumi hadn’t asked.

But then Nezumi didn’t ignore him, instead asking, “Who?”

“My teachers, school counselors, anyone who had an idea of my IQ scores. I was expected to pursue sciences, even made reasonable progress in ecology before I decided that I wanted to apply to the Devas.”

“And what brought on that bright idea, almighty pacifist?”

“My mom.”

Nezumi seemed to hesitate, not lose interest but obviously hadn’t been expecting that.

“Really? Your mom? What did she have to do with it?”

Shion was no longer used to be around people who didn’t know his mom, being a Deva for the past few years and loving hearing her stories before that so he was used to it.

“My mom was a Deva.” The look Nezumi gave him made him feel like he wasn’t believed, so he kept talking. “My mom’s disposition is Warping and the strength of her core allows her to be able to transport up to five people to any location on the planet. Larger groups, of course, greatly decrease the distance she can move them, but she is still recognized as one of the most skilled and powerful Warps alive. She’s the reason ground was gained against the Oni while she was a Deva.”

“I never would have guessed,” Nezumi commented absently and Shion believed he was being honest. And it wouldn’t be unusual: Karan didn’t give the impression of being trained as a Deva. “So, carrying on the legacy?”

“Not quite. She was about to be chosen as a Prominent but became pregnant with me before the vote was actually taken and decided to leave the Devas and went back to being a civilian in order to raise me.”

“I guess Deva Prominent doesn’t lend well to being around to raise a kid.”

“No and she wouldn’t accept that trade. She retired but I was raised on stories of her time as a Deva, hearing of all that they did and how they helped people. When my Clairvoyant core awakened shortly after I turned ten, I decided that I would become a Deva, experience some piece of what she did, use my abilities for good, regardless of how aware I was that the disposition I had wasn’t necessarily one that would be of great benefit to the organization. But then I discovered that it allowed me to see things that even most Clairvoyants can’t and I was able to become a Deva. That has been my life for the past three years and I have done so much for them. I never imagined that it would end up being something that would put me personally at risk.”

“Well, it could have just been bad luck; found the perfect Oni that wouldn’t want you seeing what they are.” Shion was aware that if he’d never seen and identified the Sidhe, he wouldn’t have been put in this position. It all came back to the Sidhe, whoever he was, Shion was certain. “And that’s all very touching and makes all sorts of sense to how you got where you are, but you still have to get over what happened and move forward.”

Shion leaned forward again and gave Nezumi a curious look. “Why do you care?”

Nezumi looked back at him before offering a shrug and smirk. “I’m not a fan of wasted effort and I put work into saving your ass. So I figure it won’t hurt to make sure you at least get back on your feet.”

“Is that really what it’s about? I didn’t take you for someone who did favors for others.”

It probably wasn’t a good idea to prod Nezumi, especially when they’d been talking so well, but it felt important.

“Don’t be an ass. I don’t like owing people and I still owe you for three years ago.” Shion gave a questioning sound and Nezumi let out a sigh. “You stepped in when you didn’t need to, helped out someone you didn’t know, all because you thought it was the right thing to do. It wasn’t about what you could get out of it but you could do it so you did. People help each other; I’d never realized that before. So, I owe you for the lesson. What I’ll do to pay you back is this, getting you back on your feet and able to handle the Oni yourself if they come back around for you.”

Shion never would have guessed that what he’d done when they met would have made a difference to Nezumi, not to this degree. But he was happy to learn he had. And maybe, just maybe he could find a way to connect with Nezumi in a way that would give him another reason to stick around.

Following an urge that had risen in him as he watched Nezumi looking up at him, Shion leaned forward, curling over until he could press a kiss to Nezumi’s cheek, grey eyes watching him unblinking when he moved away to sit back upright.

“What was that for?” Nezumi asked, finishing with a grin that Shion hadn’t expected. To be honest, he sort of expected to get punched.

As it was, he felt his cheeks warm as he simply replied, “I wanted to. And I felt like if I didn’t, I would be allowing an opportunity to pass that I may not get again.”

Nezumi moved quickly, too quickly for Shion to prepare for Nezumi to suddenly sit up and have a hand gripping him around the back of his neck and pulling him in close, Shion having to set his hands in the small space between them on the bed so he didn’t fall over. And Nezumi leaned in close, his expression unreadable, though Shion realized that he didn’t actually feel concerned or intimidated.

“Save the confidence for when you have a reason to have some.”

That was it. Nezumi let him go and relaxed back against the pillows and Shion slowly returned to his own position leaning against the wall. That was strange, right? Either way, Shion felt like he’d met the limits of how far he could push for the day.

That didn’t mean he would just stop trying to get answers without pressing.

“I still don’t know your dispositions.”

Nezumi let out a groan and covered his eyes with his forearm but Shion was relatively certain he was just being dramatic for show. “You just don’t stop _asking_.” Shion remained silent, deciding to wait this one out since that had worked a few times. “Qilin and Siren.”

Shion frowned as his mind began racing through possibilities of details that might have linked anything he’d seen from Nezumi to have seen hints of either of those dispositions being revealed before being told. Then he realized there had potentially been something.

“You told me there was nothing wrong with me. When I’d been affected by the Projector. Siren’s place their power into their voice, altering perception with their words rather than touch. Is that what you did because I know I was struggling to break the hallucination and then it was gone.” Shion was fully aware that the Qilin disposition, with its abilities being creating barriers and existing for the sake of protection, could have been used as well to break the hallucination, but Shion didn’t recall seeing Nezumi’s hands in any of the positions of forming a barrier that Shion recognized and he’d worked with Qilins often throughout his time as a Deva.

“Yeah, just a touch. It doesn’t take much when it’s just a hallucination, just enough to disrupt the train of thought and remind the brain that it’s not real.”

“Thank you,” Shion said and then the two of them went silent for a while. Nezumi obviously wasn’t one for superfluous conversation and Shion felt content at what he’d learned for the moment. And he didn’t want Nezumi to leave because, regardless of what the other teen said, there was nothing to guarantee that he would come back when he left. Shion had to find something that could connect them, something that he could rely on to know that he would see Nezumi again. He didn’t even care how strange it was that he was so intent on seeing Nezumi. He just felt with all his heart that it was how things should be, especially now that they’d had these numerous encounters that seemed to pull them even closer together. Perhaps if he spent some time today starting to gain an understanding of his capabilities with his two new cores, that would be something to say that they would continue.

Decided, he sat upright again, catching Nezumi’s attention. “Can you move?” Shion requested and Nezumi raised an eyebrow at him. “I would like to at least get a sense of my cores while someone is present for safety, but I don’t want you within range in case I accidentally activate one, especially my Wraith core. I really don’t want to cut you off from your cores again and the initial connections with some cores formed because of a traumatic event can make an ability reactive.”

“Geez, you’re like a walking encyclopedia of fun facts for how cores work,” Nezumi muttered as he sat up and then stood, moving to the chair Shion had at his desk across the room from his bed, pulling it out and spinning it so he could lounge in it instead.

“Most Devas are to some extent,” Shion responded as he closed his eyes, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to focus even his practiced mind at reaching for a core if he could see Nezumi looking at him.

He took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he let his mind feel for the familiar sensation of a core pulsing within him, drawing in strength as it discharged excess, functioning at all times just like the rest of the body. This should be the easy part and it was, Shion almost immediately feeling the thrum of one core near each temple and another nestled deep in his chest at his heart. All three pulsed at their own pace, the one in his heart matching his heartbeat as it should, the one at his right temple carrying on at a quicker pace, and the one on the left – further back toward the crown of his head closer to the ocular nerve – slower and much more familiar. He felt all three strongly, though, so the connections they had to him were indeed strong. He took a few moments of meditative breathing to memorize the feel of their locations, focusing on the feel of each one systematically while repeating to himself which core it was, beginning the process of making reaching for a specific one automatic even though it would likely take a few days of doing just this.

He felt comfortable with this, though. This was something familiar; after all, he did this to pass the time when he’d only had one core.

Curiosity rose in him and he figured if anything should be harmless, it was activating his Clairvoyant core. He’d been doing that for years and it shouldn’t be affected.

He turned his full attention to his Clairvoyant core and mentally made contact with the tendril of power from it that allowed him access to his abilities. He just needed to activate his vision for a moment, just to check that the connection had healed correctly and completely.

Feeling the slight shift in his core, Shion opened his eyes to look toward Nezumi in order to see his cores.

He gasped as soon as he opened his eyes, closing them at once and feeling a stab of pain in his eyes that spread out toward his core, fading quickly though as soon as Shion released his pull of his core’s power.

“Shion?” Nezumi called to him, sounding like he was still on the opposite side of the room. Shion cautiously opened his eyes again, relieved that the pain didn’t return, and saw that while Nezumi was now sitting straight in the chair and looking like he was prepared to cross the room, he had stayed away. “What was that?”

“I’m not sure.”

Shion frowned as he kept his eyes open while he reached again for his Clairvoyant power, feeling it again activate as it usually would. But with his eyes open, he witnessed his sharp vision swim before everything seemed to become too bright and he had to again allow his control to release for his vision to go back to normal.

He rubbed at his eyes, trying to relieve the last remaining pain before he again looked over toward Nezumi, realizing what had happened. “My Clairvoyant core isn’t recovered. When I try to activate it, my vision fails and it hurts. I’ll have to start from scratch on all my abilities for it.”

Nezumi frowned as well hearing that. “The hospital said you were recovered, that your core’s connections were restored and healthy.”

“They are healthy and as stable as they were before. However, they are now new. I can’t use them the same as I did before, basically remap the connections in a usable manner.”

Shion was officially in worse shape now than he’d been before the Oni attack. Not only did he have to learn the abilities of two new cores, but he also had to develop the core he’d had since he was ten all over again. That was likely to be more difficult because he couldn’t treat it like he had for so many years. He had to be careful in everything he did with it for the time being.

And he may have lost his ability to see the miasma of Oni.

He’d read accountings of people who had gone through damage to their cores and it was common for them to lose either how much power they had or specific abilities permanently.

It was possible the Oni had ended up getting what they wanted after all, despite Shion’s survival. That hurt more than he thought it should.

He did think that Nezumi summarized it well, though, the other teen relaxing back into the chair as he realized that there was no danger: “Well, that makes for a shitty situation. Though, that might just be what you get for thinking you could make such well-laid plans. Those always go to shit.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because it always needs to be said and I've been really quiet in A/Ns for this fic: thank you everyone who is reading. I appreciate every single one of you. We're about at the halfway point in this fic and from here on out will be much more focused on Shion and Nezumi together. Hope you continue to enjoy and see you next week!


	10. Contingency

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Devas have a deadline for Shion to get a handle on his new cores...

Shion wasn’t really surprised to see Shohei come into his mom’s bakery three months after the attack on him and him leaving the Devas. After all, Shion had a pretty good idea of why he was there and it took time for everything to go through, between paperwork, updating both his personal file and Deva records, and then making what Shohei would be here to deliver since it had to be given in person. Furthermore, since Shion wasn’t really in a position to become a consultant, Shohei wouldn’t have been able to just meet him one day they needed his help with.

Shion didn’t think he was being unreasonable in assuming Shohei had been _looking_ for a reason to see him, likely the contrary.

Karan looked up from where she was finishing up bagging another customer’s muffins and Shion caught the brief frown before she went back to her work as she had no place being involved in any conversation that happened.

But Nezumi was back in the kitchen, finishing off the breakfast Karan had made for him and he wouldn’t keep his distance. So, Shion decided that it was best to keep this short and encourage Shohei to keep this as professional as most of their interactions had been through Shion’s time as a Deva.

He excused himself from the conversation he was having with one of the regulars and made his way over to Shohei, the Deva watching him approach passively.

“Hey, Shohei, I wasn’t expecting you,” Shion greeted, indicating for the man to step to the side toward one of the emptier corners of the shop.

Shohei gave him a quick visual assessment – Shion having seen the look plenty of times while working with the man – and appeared to have nothing catch his attention. “You’re looking well. How has your recovery progressed?”

“I’m fine. There hasn’t seemed to be any lasting physical effects from the infection.” He saw Shohei glance to his hair and cheek and gave a nervous laugh as he reached up and scratched at the back of his head. “Nothing else, anyway. This all is just permanent.” He finished with a wave to indicate the changes to his hair, eyes, and skin.

“I’m relieved to hear that. I wasn’t allowed to check on your recovery once you lost your status as a Deva.” Shion didn’t bother making a point of how Shohei could have called if he was curious, knowing that much of what Shohei was saying was a matter of propriety. He cared to some extent, of course because he wouldn’t be a Deva otherwise, but it was another matter to take time to actually check in. Shion hadn’t expected him to anyway.

“That’s alright. I’m sure you would have still been informed if something went wrong, it being the result of an Oni attack. What can I do for you?”

“I had expected to hear from you concerning a position as a consultant so I ended up delaying the visit a little longer than I should have.”

“After testing out the two new cores I gained, I decided that it was best to gain more control over all my abilities before applying as a consultant.” Shion didn’t feel like admitting the lost ability that the Devas had valued so greatly in him.

“I see. Wise choice. This isn’t something that should be rushed. It may do you some good to have a little time away from the Devas, grow up a little on your own and work through where you want to go with your life now.” Shion gave the Deva a look that communicated that he was approaching crossing a line. He wasn’t in a position of authority over Shion anymore and he really didn’t have to listen to him pulling that tone he had that made it seem like he believed he truly knew better than anyone. Shohei at least seemed to catch on to the meaning behind Shion’s look and he reached into his jacket pocket. He pulled out a small box and sealed envelope and handed it over to Shion. “Because of the circumstances of your leaving the Devas and you remained active for longer than the required two years, you are allowed to carry a record of your service with the organization with you.”

Shion opened the box and saw the simple silver ring settled within, and though he couldn’t see it now, he knew the inside would be inscribed with his Deva identification number. He allowed the thought that they had changed things a little. His mom didn’t have a ring, but a necklace that looked like a small military dog tag. She didn’t usually wear it but she also didn’t leave the house without grabbing it first. After another moment of consideration, Shion thought he remembered them adding a few different ways of identifying the status of the person by what they were given, like if he'd decided to leave on his own instead of becoming a Chimera, he would have been given something besides a silver ring.

Either way, if nothing else, it was proof to any other authority figure that they had served as Devas, that if they took action against an Oni, they weren’t untrained civilians and the Devas maintained support of their actions regardless of them no longer officially serving as one.

A small consolation but it was better than nothing and Shion had heard of some who had put these markers to good use in continuing on the values of a Deva even when they couldn’t be one anymore.

“In the envelope are instructions for how you can access the information contained in the memory drive in the ring. And in the case of an emergency status within the Devas being declared, that ring, your fingerprints, and voice print will allow you access to the building and our systems.”

It was one of the contingency plans put in place long ago by the Prominents of the time, that former Devas in good standing – i.e. not Oni or having any criminal record – were reinforcements should the Oni ever do anything that would set off a state of emergency.

Shion had thought ever since learning of it once he’d passed all requisite trainings that he wouldn’t actually get his own for another few decades. He’d done a good job of convincing himself that he had what it took to succeed as a Deva for that long even after his difficulty adapting to the concept of being a warrior as the majority of Devas were.

Even his mom, the kindest, most gentle person he had ever known, had completed all training and had been involved in plenty of fights throughout her time with the Devas.

But he’d failed to adapt.

Just like he’d failed to maintain the one ability that made him valuable.

Just like he was failing to reach a level of control over his two new cores to consider himself stable, let alone proficient.

“You aren’t required to wear or carry the ring,” Shohei continued after a short, uncomfortable silence. “Not enough people know about their meaning for it to be really useful and the access it allows has to be activated by an emergency status triggered in Deva systems so it would only be a ring the rest of the time. However, I would recommend you keep it close. You know that if the Devas declared a state of emergency, it would have to be something very serious and time would likely be of the essence.”

“I understand,” Shion replied absently. He wasn’t really paying attention anymore. He was hearing what was being said but had stopped listening.

Shohei let out a sigh and crossed his arms before continuing, “You mentioned you were training to ensure your control over your two new cores. How is that progressing?”

“I…It's difficult to say. I’ve had to do a bit of research into the abilities and accounts of how other Dispels and Wraiths have gained the best control. It’s…well, it’s different than how my Clairvoyant core works and that has been difficult to adapt to.” Shion felt so uncomfortable admitting this to Shohei. He didn’t want to look weaker in the eyes of the Devas, especially with someone who already hadn’t had a great opinion of him. Hadn’t Shohei just stated how he thought Shion should stay away from the Devas?

Even now, Shohei looked like he was disappointed with Shion’s answer. Did anything satisfy this man?

“Are you saying you don’t have enough control over your cores to maintain your own safety?”

“Why? It’s not like you guys did any better when he was one of you,” Nezumi’s voice made Shion startle and turn to see the other teen approaching the two of them.

Shion took a quick look around the rest of the bakery and saw that the three of them were the only ones there. The customers had all left – hopefully having finished their business rather than leaving because of Shion and Shohei – and Karan also wasn’t in sight so she was likely back in the kitchen. It was also likely that she had told Nezumi that Shohei was there to get him to come out and support Shion.

It really was impressive how Nezumi interacted with Karan, how he responded to her in a way that was so different than how he interacted with anyone else as far as Shion had witnessed.

Nezumi crossed the short remaining distance between him and Shion, surprising the shorter teen by coming to stand so he was positioned closer to Shohei with Shion just behind his right shoulder. It couldn’t have been a simple urge brought on by his Qilin core; Nezumi didn’t appear to experience those protective instincts like most Qilin did. But it was a protective stance nonetheless and Shohei appeared to respond to it, accepted it and his body language eased ever so slightly.

“Shion will remain the Deva’s concern until we have reason to believe the threat against him is truly nonexistent. I’m merely reminding him of the measures that will go into effect should I find it necessary.”

“I’m aware, Shohei,” Shion interjected before Nezumi started a fight, like it really seemed he would. “I’ll make sure to keep you more updated on my progress and let you know if I’m ever at a point where I can’t justify not utilizing those measures. I have no pride in this and wouldn’t risk the lives of people I care about unnecessarily.”

Shohei looked satisfied with that, at least. “I guessed as much. Then that’s all the reason I have for stopping by today. Keep in touch, Shion. I don’t have another convenient excuse to drop by another time.” Shohei glanced to Nezumi before he gave the two of them a slight bow and turned to leave, not pausing for any sort of parting words.

Nezumi watched the Deva leave, waiting until he was out of sight of the windows before he turned toward Shion and gave him an intense look, questioning without saying anything.

Shion looked down at the envelope in his hand before he sighed and turned to walk away, heading for the stairs that led to his room. He thought that Nezumi would let him go, would just accept his silence and leave, come back when he felt like it. That was what he’d done plenty of times before. He didn’t press Shion to talk to him. In fact, it was usually Shion who was trying to get Nezumi to be more open with him and Nezumi tolerating him to some degree before he just refused.

But today Nezumi followed him, remained a few steps behind as he headed toward his room and the separation that would mean from the rest of the world. There were no customers in his room, no kind and understanding looks from his mom. He could figure things out there in solitude.

At least he could once he got Nezumi to call it a day and leave. And he knew better than to try and close the door before Nezumi could follow him in. The other teen would either just pick the lock on his bedroom door or he would scale his balcony and invade through that door.

It didn’t seem fair that Nezumi could decide when to close himself off and Shion would get nowhere further along whatever subject he’d been pressing about but Nezumi wouldn’t allow Shion the same courtesy. Shion should be allowed to have his things he didn’t want to talk about.

Shion headed straight for his desk, sitting down in his chair as he set the envelope and box with the ring inside next to his keyboard and turned on his computer. He heard Nezumi hovering at the door and felt his gaze boring through the back of his head. Well, if Nezumi didn’t want to let this go, he’d have to work for it.

“That looked like more than a drop-off,” Nezumi eventually declared once Shion’s attention was effectively split between paying attention to Nezumi and what he was reading on the computer, resuming gathering whatever relevant information he could find concerning abilities and control over the Dispel core.

“You didn’t have to get involved,” Shion responded smoothly, dismissively.

“Karan thought it looked like I should,” Nezumi shot back.

“That’s interesting. She knew what he was visiting about.”

“And what was he visiting about?”

Shion reached over and tapped his fingers against the envelope. “An indicator that I left the Devas on good terms.”

“But you didn’t leave the Devas. You were kicked out for becoming a Chimera.”

“No, I’m no longer eligible to be a Deva because I’m a Chimera. To be kicked out, I’d have to be designated an Oni or proven guilty of criminal activity.”

Nezumi let out a heavy sigh. “No wonder you like those stuck-ups so much: all they do is argue semantics.” Shion remained silent, letting Nezumi take all the shots he wanted.

He was used to it by now, the teasing Nezumi loved to base their interactions on. He’d come to appreciate the playfulness of it instead of seeing it as harmful. It was just how Nezumi talked to people and Shion had noticed there was almost a complete lack of malice when he directed it toward Shion. And he had made sure to witness that more than once instead of potentially seeing what he wanted to see of there being more between them than random occurrences that brought them together. Because if that’s what he really saw, it shouldn’t be easy to part ways for good.

Shion kept his eyes on the computer screen as he heard Nezumi walk over to him and then he turned and leaned back against the desk right next to Shion, standing close so Shion would at least see him peripherally and he could watch Shion’s reactions. And Shion was certain that Nezumi had noticed by now that he affected Shion’s concentration when he stood so close, as he only seemed to do so when he wanted to make a point.

“You may be an airhead, but you don’t need reminders,” Nezumi declared suddenly and Shion glanced up at him for jumping straight to the point he wanted to talk about before he caught himself and looked back to the screen. “But high-and-mighty Deva knows that, doesn’t he?”

“I couldn’t answer for Shohei. His opinion of me has never been very high so it is entirely possible that he might believe that I wasn’t familiar with protective protocol. It wasn’t exactly something I would have handled often, my abilities being what they were.”

“Which protective protocols?”

“The ones the Devas have in place for civilians who have been targeted by Oni.”

“Which would be?”

“None of your concern as you have not been found to be a target of the Oni.”

Nezumi suddenly reached for Shion, his hands grasping the armrests of Shion’s chair and pushing him away from the desk and then stepping in close, Shion leaning back as much as he could out of reflex rather than any genuine concern. Nezumi was irritated with him now and he didn’t blame him, not when he was remaining steadfast in his avoidance. But it really wasn’t a concern so why should he make a deal out of it. Three months was enough time with no official protection to declare that the Oni had moved on from him, right?

“Shion, what are the protective measures that the Devas would take if you were deemed unable to protect yourself against an Oni attack and that threat was ongoing?” Nezumi ground out the question, not allowing for any loopholes.

He had been getting better about remembering to word things more carefully to keep Shion from working his way around what Nezumi said simply by paying attention to _exactly_ what was said. While it had turned into some manner of game between them most of the time, it was different now and Shion debated if he should hold his ground any longer on this or simply tell Nezumi. Hadn’t he just determined there to be no concern anyway so what did it hurt to tell.

Besides, it wasn’t like there was any guarantee that Nezumi would even care. Shion just wanted him to.

“Why do you have to know? If the Oni were going to attack me again, they would have already. I’ve lost the ability that made them target me anyway so there stands even less concern than before. The Oni are done with me.”

Nezumi leaned in closer, his face filling Shion’s vision and he felt his face heat at the proximity. “How do you know? Are you the Oni that put a hit out on you?”

“Of course not. But I’ve been dealing with them long enough to know that when an Oni moves on, they tend to not make a point of holding on to anything they left behind. That includes targets.”

“But wasn’t this Oni different? Wasn’t this one you needed to risk losing an identified Oni to apprehend, to stop before he got ground?”

“And failed so now he’s gone. I can’t identify him in any manner so I hold no threat to him. He must be intelligent enough to understand that and he’s had three months to prove it.”

“Shion, why are you avoiding this?”

“Because it’s a pointless thing to ask me. It’s a moot point.”

“You don’t hold your ground on moot points. Don’t think I haven’t noticed that about you. You fight me on what matters, what you think I won’t approve of but you think you’re right about.”

That was accurate, though Shion hadn’t really noticed that trend and so hadn’t expected Nezumi to note it either.

“If it’s really nothing we should worry about, then there’s no point in keeping it hidden from me. You don’t like keeping secrets from me, anyway.”

It figured that Nezumi’s next tactic would be to play dirty, to try and take advantage of the feelings that Shion had for him that only seemed to be gaining strength and depth the longer they spent time together. And no matter how much Shion attempted to ignore it, Nezumi still seemed as aware as Shion was. It wasn’t fair.

It especially wasn’t fair because Nezumi was right and Shion felt his reasoning fail now that it had been thrown right back at him. It wasn’t a concern. He shouldn’t put this much effort into keeping it silent.

“Full protective custody of civilians is enacted as a means of providing the highest likelihood of the Oni losing track of their target without requiring regular ongoing need of Deva involvement. There is too much of a shortage of manpower within the Devas to provide long-term protection like that as it would essentially remove at least one Deva from active duty permanently or until the Oni was apprehended and it was proven that they hadn’t made the person a target for any other Oni. The civilian is provided with a falsified death and a new identity. Contact with any friends and family or returning to former places of residence is permanently prohibited. These measures are taken when the civilian is proven to not hold sufficient control or any defensive or offensive abilities to maintain their own safety even with training within a six-month period of the threat being confirmed.”

“You mean…”

“If after six months from the initial threat being confirmed I can’t prove that I can take care of myself and with the severity of the attack against me, I would be required to leave and never come back. For all intents and purposes, Shion Himura would cease to exist for everyone who knew me.”

Nezumi’s grey eyes remained locked on Shion for long moments, not revealing his thoughts or feelings. Then he eased away a little, keeping a hold on the armrests so that Shion still couldn’t retreat from him, close him off.

“If anyone ever tells me that Devas don’t go for the extremes, I’m citing this.”

“It’s not so dissimilar to protective custody of other agencies.”

Nezumi gave him that look he used when he thought Shion had said something particularly stupid.

“They kill you and you aren’t allowed to speak to or return to your home again for the rest of your life. That’s cruel. And if _I’m_ saying that, it’s especially true.”

Shion surged to his feet, Nezumi stepping back quickly so he didn’t get knocked into at the sudden movement. “Yeah, well, the Oni don’t make a habit of being overly kind and sometimes severe action is necessary.”

“Justifying their policies for them now?”

“It’s not something that requires justification. It has nothing to do with me having been a Deva. This is their policy regarding civilians. Besides, Devas have succeeded in countering the Oni on a level that keeps them from gaining the upper hand against the general population for over a century.”

Nezumi scoffed before saying, “How’s that blind faith working for you?”

“It’s hardly blind. I spent the six months prior to submitting my application to the Devas questioning my mom about her time with them, about the missions she had been assigned to and others she had witnessed, learning their strategies before I began their training. I spent hundreds of hours reading over witness accountings of interactions with Devas from civilian perspective, ensuring that what I was told by my mom matched with what was seen by the public. And it did, at least sufficiently enough for me to determine that I would apply and dedicate my life to the organization that exists for the sole purpose of protecting the innocent from those who wouldn’t give them a second thought because they are weaker or simply humans without cores. I’m satisfied with my decision and if it ends up to have led me to sacrificing the life I have always known, I will accept that.” Nezumi’s expression was complicated and Shion was too caught up in his emotions to stop himself before adding, “Are you so satisfied with your own life that you can pass judgement on my decisions absent hypocrisy?"

Shion stepped around Nezumi, heading for the door to the balcony, needing to be outside and hoping that Nezumi would allow him space now. He was so worked up without really understanding why and he needed to do something to calm down. He knew that it was in rushes of emotion like this that people said things they didn’t mean – and he had possibly already crossed that line – and he didn’t want to risk handing Nezumi the reason he needed to never come back.

He was reaching for the door handle when his wrist was grabbed and he was spun around and Nezumi pushed against his shoulder to press his back against the glass door, moving in to stand close, the taller body not actually pressing against him but Shion pinned just as well by his presence. Shion looked up the height difference between them, unable to do anything but wait for Nezumi to break the tense silence between them.

He wasn’t necessarily surprised to see a slight grin show on Nezumi’s expression before he said, “Well, there you are. I was beginning to think I’d imagined you after a few months of you being all meek about not getting your core control right. But that stupid kid who didn’t know what fights he should keep his nose out of is still there, ready to take a chunk out of what he shouldn’t.”

Shion frowned slightly. “Nezumi?” he asked.

“You think doing your share of homework makes you any less ignorant? So what if your mom had her horror stories to tell you about what it was like to be a Deva? It’s not like you had to experience anything like that because you chose to stay out of fights. How many times have you pointed out that it was all on you that you didn’t complete combat training, that you did what you could to keep from having to get blood on your hands?”

“Not all positions within the Devas are that of warriors. As a Clairvoyant, my abilities are neutral and don’t lend well to any proficiency in a fight. Why should that be held as a fault to me?”

Nezumi let out a groan as his head dropped. “Damn, you’re frustrating to talk to.” He looked back up at Shion and his hand left its grip on Shion’s wrist before pressing against his cheek, his thumb brushing along the sensitive line of the scarring Shion still wasn’t truly accustomed to, even after months of them being there. “Never trust what the public sees. They only see what they want and no matter how much of an airhead you are, you aren’t actually stupid. You want the truth, go out there and find it for yourself because no one is just going to tell it to you.”

“Not even you,” Shion stated. Because there was nothing to question in that Nezumi refused to open himself up to Shion.

Nezumi gave him another smirk. “Is His Highness displeased?” the other teen teased, pulling on a nickname he’d given Shion within a few days of occupying part of Shion’s room while he attempted to train with his core. He’d started calling him that whenever Shion would get frustrated with things not going as expected. Needless to say, Shion wasn’t fond of the moniker.

For once, though, he felt like he was in the right frame of mind to ignore it. Even if it was merely a matter of him becoming more accustomed to Nezumi, he would accept anything.

“When it comes to you: perpetually.” Shion let out a sigh and his head dropped, Nezumi’s hand following the motion. “I still have no idea why you keep coming here, why you return when it seems so counterintuitive to who you are. And you never reveal anything of yourself to me no matter how much I ask, how much I just want to know _something_ about you like you insist on knowing everything of me.”

“Hardly. I just have issues with people living in a haze of bullshit and then wondering why things aren’t going their way. Besides, you’re easier to read than a children’s book.”

Shion didn’t let Nezumi deter him in making his point; he recognized Nezumi’s deflection for what it was even if he finished with a true statement. “I like it when you’re here, Nezumi. I like being around you even when you frustrate me. And I don’t want you to stop being around.” Shion decided that he was already taking a risk with his words, so what difference would one more risk make. Especially considering how Nezumi’s hands were still on him. So he reached up and touched his fingertips to Nezumi’s cheek, keeping the contact light even as he wanted more. “I’m not good at this, at figuring people out. There are too many variables and I get lost. And with you, I just don’t know where to start because you don’t let me find a baseline. Three months and I feel like I’m exactly where I was the day I came home from the hospital when you are concerned. I don’t like that.”

The hand on Shion’s cheek moved until Nezumi pressed his fingers against the bottom of Shion’s chin, lifting his head and Shion followed the urging to look back into Nezumi’s eyes. They were expressive, at least, but Shion only felt like his point had been proven in that he couldn’t figure out what Nezumi thought about what he’d just said.

“I’m here, aren’t I?” Nezumi asked evenly. “And I was there when that bitch of a Plague infected you, wasn’t I? I don’t go where I don’t want to be. Every time I show up here, it’s because that’s where I choose to be. You can work that brain to death trying to work things out, but it really isn’t that complicated. I want to be here so that’s where I am. Deal with it. And if I’m not living up to some grand expectations of what you think I’m supposed to be doing or saying, you should get those out of your head right now. Otherwise you’re creating your own disappointment.” Nezumi leaned in even closer and Shion felt his breathing hitch, uncertain of what Nezumi was doing now. But when he spoke, his voice was surprisingly intense and intimidating. “If you ever pull some disappearing act orchestrated by the Devas, it won’t be Oni tracking you down. I’ll find you just to prove that I can. Then those Deva almighty assholes can screw off with their policies as I drag you back here. Got it?”

Shion could only nod, his hand dropping back to his side with Nezumi’s hands falling away from him soon after. And, still feeling like it was what he needed, Shion turned and opened the door behind him to go out onto the balcony, leaving Nezumi in his room to decide if he wanted to stay.

Shion didn’t expect to make any progress with his training today, not with the conversations with Shohei and Nezumi on his mind.

He sat down at the small table he had on the balcony and picked one foot up off the ground and moving in close enough to the table that he could rest his shin against the edge of the table and wrap his arms around his leg as he relaxed his chin on his knee.

Nezumi wouldn’t let him disappear? If he tried, Nezumi would come after him.

That just…didn’t happen. Not when it was the Devas who were in charge.

Even Karan accepted the possibility that Shion may have to leave; he saw that understanding in her gaze in quiet moments between them. But she knew that it would mean his safety, so she didn’t refute it. She understood the reasoning behind it just as he did. She would rather he be safe than need to be in contact with him while he was in danger.

He assumed the fact that he’d already nearly died was influencing the acceptance on Karan’s part.

Safu would likely take more convincing to come to terms with it. She cared deeply about him and wasn’t the kind of person to just take things at face value. Though, as she was a civilian and not family, she would be told he was dead. She was intelligent enough that she may learn the truth, but it wouldn’t be revealed to her like it would be to Karan.

Shion didn’t want Safu wasting her potential trying to chase him down but he wouldn’t have many options. Success of the cover story relied on as few people as possible knowing the truth.

Because despite what he had told Nezumi, he believed those measures would be taken with him. He was certain he only had a few more months before he would be leaving the life he knew even further behind and have to start over on his own with no idea of what he should do and with limitations on his options to maintain a low profile.

Considering the changes made to his features, that would be even more important because he didn’t exactly blend into a crowd anymore. One of the features he’d gained from the attack alone would be enough to get him attention, let alone all three and he’d had plenty of people already staring at him as he went about his day to prove it.

But Nezumi wouldn’t let him go. And it felt different than Safu not accepting he was gone. Because Shion also believed that if there was anyone that would succeed in finding him, it was Nezumi. After all, hadn’t he already proven that he could show up when Shion least expected it.

Didn’t Nezumi understand that he couldn’t keep saying things like that to Shion, that he wouldn’t let him disappear and that he’d find him. Because Shion was trying really hard not to become any more attached to Nezumi than he already was. He understood he was failing but he had to at least keep trying. Because, despite his complete lack of experience, he knew what he would feel if he didn’t deny himself. He couldn’t let his emotions get to a point that they would start reaching out for Nezumi through the power of his cores, his discharge flowing out toward Nezumi and asking to have him reach back so that a connection could take hold if accepted. He wasn’t ready to know Nezumi’s answer to that question.

He would fight himself if it meant that an affinity didn’t try to form between them. Not now.

He let out a heavy sigh and turned his head to rest his temple against his knee, his eyes sliding closed.

He missed being a Deva. He missed knowing exactly where he stood and what he was capable of. He missed his precise control and understanding of his core. He missed knowing that he was capable of using his abilities to help others. He missed the certainty his life had held, the stability that had afforded him.

He’d felt like he was drowning ever since he woke up in that hospital and he didn’t know how much longer he could continue the fight.


	11. Reaching

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nezumi wants to find what Shion needs so he isn't taken...

Nezumi sat at Shion’s desk, looking out onto the balcony where Shion had been for nearly an hour. He might have thought Shion had fallen asleep long ago if not for the stress lines on his face that revealed just how deep in thought the other teen was and how much he was struggling.

Things were becoming complicated.

Nezumi should have let Shion be months ago and now that he really had a reason to back off, he felt even more compelled to make sure he remained involved.

Nezumi didn’t say things like he did earlier without meaning them. That didn’t mean he wasn’t surprised by how much he meant it. But for Shion to just be gone, to be whisked away with no option of coming back and have it all be in the name of his protection was bullshit and Nezumi wasn’t sure why he’d reacted so strongly.

No, that wasn’t true. He knew exactly _why_ he’d reacted so strongly and it was only because Shion was so dense and inept when it came to dealing with people that he was struggling to understand Nezumi and his reactions.

Nezumi was a Qilin. And while it may not be the older core of the two he had, it was the one he had the strongest connection to. And Qilins could sense affinities, could know when the connection between two people’s core was there and he knew his own cores were fighting to reach out to Shion. But Nezumi had long ago learned the tricks of his cores and never came to Shion with power to spare to have discharge. He spent at least an hour before heading toward Shion creating barriers and speaking with his Siren core activated that the time he spent with the other teen, his cores were always regaining their strength instead of discharging excess which was key to the natural forming of an affinity’s base connection.

But that didn’t stop how he knew he felt. And as much as he didn’t want to have to worry about someone else but himself, he was done losing people.

And if he didn’t help Shion figure his shit out, he’d lose him.

All because of the fucking Devas.

It wasn’t that Nezumi hated the Devas or the User Enforcement Agency. They did their part well enough – Shion had been accurate in his point there – but they couldn’t do enough to keep up with the Oni. What had happened to Nezumi’s family was proof enough of that. The Devas had no clue what had happened to him and didn’t even know to be looking for the people responsible. They had their chance four years ago to help him and instead they accused him of being an Oni and botched it for themselves.

And he’d figured out long ago that he could handle it himself, understood that he _should_ handle it himself and that’s what he was going to do. This thing with Shion had merely been a placeholder until he had what he needed to move.

Or it had been before Shion had wormed his way in deeper than Nezumi should have allowed him to. The kid had no clue just what he was capable of, thankfully.

Nezumi ran his hands through his hair, allowing the knot holding his hair back to be dislodged and leaned back to let the long dark strands fall loose, relieved for the slight release of tension.

He’d nearly kissed Shion. Especially after Shion reached back for him and had revealed as much of himself as Nezumi had done, though in different ways. It was only through sheer force of will that he’d resisted, knowing that he couldn’t allow himself that vulnerability right now. And something about how Shion wouldn’t look at him helped because damned if Shion wasn’t really good at matching his gaze, no matter how intense, so him refusing to do so had been impactful. But, damn, it had been about the hardest thing he’d done in a while. It was already bad enough that he didn’t hold himself back from reaching out to Shion, making contact with him, basically making it harder on himself by giving in to that much. As long as they didn’t make a habit of soul-bearing discussions, he figured he’d be safe enough from having that happen again.

He ran his fingers through his hair a few times before twisting it back into its usual knot easily and then he looked back to Shion.

Shion hadn’t moved.

They needed to figure out Shion’s cores, get him able to access the abilities of the Dispel and Wraith cores. That was what was going to keep him here. A defensive and offensive core were what he needed to figure out, not the Clairvoyant abilities he’d lost.

Nezumi figured – in his limited experience since he didn’t make a habit of going around learning how people used their cores – that the trouble Shion was having was two-tiered.

The biggest problem, he thought, came from how Shion’s Clairvoyant core was like a light switch with a dimmer: it was on or it was off and it was through slight adjustments that made a difference in what he saw. Wraith and Dispel cores required intention. They had to be commanded specifically and they were a hell of a lot more aggressive in nature than just looking.

Which was likely the second issue and the one Shion would have the hardest time getting over. He wasn’t an aggressive person; Nezumi was hard-pressed to think of someone he knew that was more passive than Shion. Sure, he was stubborn and there were times when he stood his ground when he believed in something strongly, but that was far from the same thing as cutting someone off from the power of their core or meeting a core’s power and cancelling it out.

Shion was fighting with his very nature in trying to control his cores and that was about as difficult as things got when it came to someone learning control over their abilities.

It was that exact sort of thing that led people to live their life in a way that completely ignored their core’s existence.

Shion didn’t really have that luxury. He learned control or he disappeared.

Nezumi settled back in to watching Shion, leaning back in the chair and crossing his arms to settle into a comfortable position as Shion continued to not move except for his breathing. Nezumi was determined to still be around when Shion came out of his overthinking marathon. It just seemed like something that was important.

It was about ten minutes later when Nezumi noticed the movement.

He hadn’t even really acknowledged that he’d even seen movement: he was simply on alert, sitting upright in the chair and looking closer at Shion even as he was trying to figure out what had gained his attention. Shion was still in the same position, his breathing still measured and his expression tense, though somewhat more relaxed than it had been half an hour ago. Nezumi was about to accept that he had imagined seeing something as his attention wandered when he managed to pick out what had gained his focus: the air around Shion was rippling.

Shion had tapped in to one of his cores and the power was surrounding him, enough power for Nezumi to see. And it had to be one of the new cores because his Clairvoyant core only affected the eyes.

Whatever Shion was mulling over, he had subconsciously accessed his power and it was materializing so that even Nezumi, whose dispositions didn’t give him any sensitivity to seeing the power of cores, was able to see it.

But which core was it and what had activated it? And how long had he been tapped in? Had he only just activated whatever ability he was exhibiting now or had it simply reached a point that enough power had gathered that others could see it?

Nezumi had a thought then: what if Shion was closer to control than he gave himself credit for?

After all, his cores had formed as a means of defending himself. That meant that there should be some measure of that defensive nature ingrained into them; that was somewhat common when it came to cores that formed and awakened because of a traumatic experience, the events in a way being imprinted into the core itself and shaping what it responded to from then on.

For once, Nezumi wished he knew just a bit more about cores than he did. His understanding of them was more functional and based upon experience than research, which was where Shion’s admittedly expansive knowledge came from.

But perhaps it was the book knowledge that was working against Shion in this case. Perhaps he needed to stop thinking his way through finding his control.

Ironic considering what the past hour had comprised of. But Shion was obviously stressed out about what he was thinking about and Nezumi suspected his core was responding to that stress as though it was as real of a threat as the Plague that had brought it into existence.

Nezumi could work with that if it was the case.

He needed to check first, though.

Nezumi stood with a stretch and then went to Shion’s closet and grabbed a light blanket out of it. It wasn’t the nicest day out and Shion always seemed a little cold; he claimed his body temperature didn’t regulate like it used to before the Plague’s attack. He returned to the door to the balcony and opened it slowly to try and keep Shion from noticing that he was approaching. Considering how often Shion had proven to lose a good deal of his awareness when he considered himself to be in a safe place and allowed his mind to run rampant, Nezumi somewhat believed he could have given a running diatribe of his actions and Shion still wouldn’t be guaranteed to know he was there.

He moved in so that he was only about a meter away and he could feel the charge in the air from Shion’s core. But he couldn’t tell from that alone which core was active. And both options in this case were just as likely.

He considered building up a charge of his own but decided he wasn’t so curious as to wanting to spend the rest of the day without access to his cores in case it was the Wraith core.

Instead he simply took another step forward, the charge brushing against his exposed skin in a manner than put him on edge, and he opened up the blanket and tossed it across Shion’s shoulders to drape across his back. Red eyes opened quickly in response and then blinked a few times to clear and looked up at Nezumi.

The charge didn’t dissipate. Interesting. Usually when a core was responding to subconscious thought patterns, acting defensively instead of by control of the user, a change in the pattern meant it didn’t have what it was responding to anymore and would return to its passive state.

“Thought that it would serve you to make yourself sick?” Nezumi said in a low voice, still wary of making that power dissipate, or worse lash out.

Shion’s cheeks were already red from what his body deemed was cold so Nezumi couldn’t tell if he’d gotten a blush for that. Not that it mattered: Shion was easy to get to blush and Nezumi would have plenty more chances to watch his reactions before they parted ways for the day.

Nezumi took another step closer and kneeled down next to Shion, his movements watched carefully by Shion as he settled into position just within the buzz of power surrounding the other teen. He focused on making sure he remained passive, that he didn’t do anything that might make another core perceive him as a threat because, right now, Shion wasn’t the one calling the shots and so his knowledge of Nezumi wouldn’t matter. “You’ve been out here long enough. Work anything out?”

Shion let his arms relax, letting them fall to rest his left in his lap while the right fell to the armrest. The look in his eyes was thoughtful, working things out and Nezumi found himself wondering just how Shion found so much to think about. He had to run out at some point. He knew Shion was extremely intelligent; he’d snooped through the other’s teen’s room enough to run across proof of just how smart he was. Karan had also made a point of her son’s intelligence as a reason why she mostly remained removed from the decisions he made, only offering advice when he asked, because she knew that he had everything he needed to make a much more informed decision than she could ever offer him.

When she had said that, Nezumi had thought that she might be overestimating Shion. After all, it wasn’t intelligence that really mattered, but wisdom gained by experience and Shion was sorely lacking in that department. He tended to not look deeply enough and Nezumi was doing everything he could to break that habit and get Shion to put his brains to efficient use.

“Can you do me a favor?” Shion asked him instead of giving any sort of real answer and Nezumi found himself getting irritated with that.

“What?” he responded because he was also curious.

“Can you say something to me?”

Nezumi hesitated responding since he was only mostly sure what Shion was asking. “You’re an idiot and no one is going to convince me otherwise.”

He caught the slight upturn to Shion’s lips before he seemed to catch the motion and remained serious. “That’s not what I meant. I want you to speak through your Siren core. I don’t care what you say, I just need you to _say_ something like that.”

Was the ripple of power around Shion not subconscious? That’s the only reason a request like that would make sense. Because even if it was really lowkey, Shion was essentially asking Nezumi to do something that could land him being called an Oni: affecting perception of others through the use of a core wasn’t considered an acceptable thing to do without the right credentials and licenses to back it up. And while that didn’t mean much to Nezumi – you did what you had to to survive – it was Shion asking and that did mean something to him.

But Nezumi was curious and he’d come out here to test out the power he’d seen surrounding Shion. Did it actually make a difference if the power was purposeful or not?

Not enough of a difference, he decided.

So, he reached for the core nestled close to his spinal cord to the left and felt the slight tingle of power surround his throat immediately. His voice didn’t change at all when he was speaking through his Siren core, but it made all the difference to someone listening.

“You need to go inside.”

That was passive enough, something that Shion could have decided to do on his own and that tended to sneak through people’s defenses better, didn’t take a lot of power for the brain to accept.

Because that was a huge difference between Sirens and Projectors: it was harder for Sirens to _make_ people believe something. Like if Nezumi was going around trying to convince people they were burning alive like that Projector had been doing, he would likely have to keep an ongoing dialogue at the person until they died for them to not realize that there was nothing wrong. Sure, he was probably the strongest Siren alive because of the circumstances of him receiving that core, but that didn’t change the limitations of the disposition. Being a strong Siren meant it just took less power and he could keep influencing someone for longer.

Not that it mattered now, because the ripple of energy surrounding Shion flashed ever so slightly and his Siren message never even touched Shion.

That meant it was coming from his Dispel core.

Nezumi reached out and took hold of Shion’s forearm, squeezing slightly before he spoke again through his core. Sometimes, physical contact affected how easily it was received, especially considering that there was something between them and they weren’t strangers or had never touched before.

“Go inside, Shion.”

There was a little more power put into his words, more influence.

The power from Shion shifted and seemed to concentrate around Nezumi’s hand and around Shion’s ears. Then Nezumi felt a slight tingle against his hand and realized that he recognized this feeling: the Wraith core. Shion’s cores were acting to defend him against a perceived threat.

Damnit, he really didn’t want to deal with being cut off from his cores for the rest of the day. At least.

However, just as he was getting ready to let go and bring up a quick barrier just in case, the charge faded and spread back out evenly around Shion. It didn’t actually strike out against him to cut him off from using his cores.

Shion hadn’t moved. There was no change in his expression or posture to indicate that he’d controlled any of that.

Nezumi released his access of his Siren core and his throat stopped tingling.

“How’d you do it?” he asked.

Shion closed his eyes again and there was a few seconds before the power surrounding him faded and he was left exposed. Nezumi was a little surprised that he’d thought of it like that, then admitted that it was accurate. Honestly, Shion needed to figure out how to walk around with that membrane of power around him at all times just in case.

That was Nezumi’s defensive Qilin instincts talking but this was one of those times that he didn’t disagree with them in the least. Shion attracted trouble.

“I don’t know what tapped into it. I just noticed one of the cores was active and then focused on keeping it active. And then when you came out I wanted to know which one it was.”

Usually it was obvious where the power was coming from. There was always some sensation of a core being tapped into and its power interacting with the body and it could always be traced back to where the core was centered.

“How’d you not know where it was coming from?” Nezumi had to ask. Shion was supposed to be the one who knew more about cores in general.

“I felt it all over my body and I noticed after it was active. It all just blended together and I couldn’t tell where it started. And I didn’t control anything about it now. It felt you out and decided you weren’t a threat but I did feel the Wraith core kicking in like it was getting ready to cut you off.”

“Yeah, I noticed.”

So, there probably wasn’t anything really unusual about what had just happened after all. Shion had enough understanding of controlling a core that he managed to keep the core active once he noticed he’d tapped into it subconsciously. And Nezumi had probably been right that the Dispel core was being influenced by the circumstances of its awakening and having a more literal defensive nature in how its abilities were manifesting. And that might have also influenced the Wraith core, creating a dangerous chain of events for anyone who was actually a threat to Shion: the Dispel core determined the threat, keeping Shion safe by cancelling out any harmful power directed at him and the Wraith core would likely follow up by severing that threat for longer.

If Shion figured out how to tap into that and control it like he could control his Clairvoyant core, he really would be able to defend himself against practically everything. And Nezumi didn’t even think it was a big “if”. Shion had all the experience and training with controlling a core that he needed. He just had to not be so stubborn and figure out how to transfer the skills.

“It was vulnerability,” Shion suddenly announced as he sat upright, his foot dropping to the floor and Nezumi pulling his hand away. “I was thinking about how things are for me now because I’m not a Deva and it basically amounts to that I am vulnerable without the inherent protection of my position. I don’t have anything that I used to, not even abilities of the core that I have been familiar with since I was ten years old. It was…overwhelming to think about all at once. I’ve managed to compartmentalize everything until now, deal with one thing at a time so I could remain functional. The mental strain of trying to work through it all at once caused a defensive reaction in the Dispel core and it acted in the only way it can to see that I remained safe. I just need to figure out how to replicate that without requiring the emotion.”

As Shion continued speaking, his voice became stronger, his words coming faster in a show of growing excitement. Nezumi watched as the other teen just worked through everything on his own, reaching the same conclusions as Nezumi had seemingly by instinct but likely from a wide enough general knowledge of cores.

All it took for Shion to figure things out was one time accessing his core when he remembered doing it. Nezumi had to wonder if Shion would have maintained control over his new cores if he’d actually remembered the attack and when the cores first awakened.

Another thought made Nezumi consider a very important question that might be the reason Shion would still be targeted by Oni in the future: just what was Shion Himura capable of? What could he discover simply because he was smart enough to figure things out after one experience?

Nezumi figured it was only a matter of time and recovery on Shion’s Clairvoyant core’s part for him to regain the ability to identify Oni by sight. The ability would still be there within his core; he’d just have to find a new way of connecting to it.

Aloud, Nezumi simply stated, “It took you three months to do something to figure that much out? Moron.”

Shion turned his attention back to Nezumi and gave him a slight smile. “Says the one who makes me feel safe.”

Shit, that backfired and Nezumi really was at a loss of what to say back.

“Who just says stuff like that?”

Nezumi refused to acknowledge the warmth that spread through his chest at hearing Shion say that. He figured it came from his Qilin instincts being met and Nezumi sighed at how they were back to being stupid and not worth his attention.

* * *

It was a good thing Nezumi didn’t make a habit of explaining himself to anyone because that meant that people didn’t go around expecting him to do so. And when he ran into a time where he wasn’t actually sure of the explanation himself, that was really fortunate. Right now, it meant that he didn’t have to come up with some excuse as to why he’d invited Shion – no matter how gruffly or that he was probably the only person who would call it that – to go with him when he’d gotten ready to head home.

Either way, there he was, leading the way down the street with Shion trailing a few steps behind, making his way towards his place with the full intent of letting Shion see where he lived.

It had been a long day despite it barely reaching mid-afternoon now and he hadn’t quite reached his fill of Shion for the day.

At least, that’s what he decided to tell himself so he didn’t have to think harder on it, maybe even admit that he still hadn’t really shirked the prospect of Shion being taken from him, whisked away under the guise of protection by the Devas.

He was allowing the thought to take root that if it got close to the six-month mark Shion had stated, Nezumi would merely make sure the Devas couldn’t find Shion to take him away and his place was as good as any to pull that off.

A derelict little bunker on the outskirts of the city was where Nezumi lived and it was sufficient to keep off anyone’s radar. Surrounded by plenty of other abandoned buildings – except for the squatters, of course – Nezumi had made sure that there were outwardly no signs of it being inhabited. He kept his existence restricted to the inside and even people who knew him as well as he allowed only knew that he was in the general area.

But he was going to outright show Shion where he lived, let him see inside, let him in.

For such a passive, harmless guy, Shion was extremely dangerous to Nezumi.

They’d officially passed into the realm of the part of town Nezumi called home. The people were unkempt, dull, most of them homeless, some not all quite there.

Nezumi slowed down a little so that Shion stepped up closer to him. Shion’s eyes were darting around to take everything in but he was as distracted as ever and that couldn’t happen around here. He was innocent, naïve; here, that made him an appealing target. And with his nicer clothes and features that were already turning plenty of eyes, he didn’t need any help gaining unwanted attention.

And Nezumi had to watch out for himself here, he couldn’t afford to put all his attention into watching over Shion.

He reached out and grabbed at the hood of Shion’s jacket, pulling it up and over Shion’s head. The other teen startled a bit at the motion, his hands rushing up to grab at his hood and kept it from falling over his face. He then sent an accusatory look over to Nezumi, who gave him an intense look in hopes of conveying the seriousness of where they were.

“This isn’t somewhere you want to be turning heads. And your hair and eyes are too good at doing that,” Nezumi said. Shion watched him for a few more seconds and then gave a slight nod as his hands dropped back to his side.

“I suppose I should get used to this,” he mused absently.

“Yeah, your days blending in with the crowd are over with. Might as well figure out how you can be ready for preventative measures about it.”

As much as it was a necessity to keep Shion from drawing attention, Nezumi also thought that it was appropriate that Shion was so noticeable now. But then he’d have to let his mind wander away from that train of thought before he got possessive and thought too much about what sort of attention Shion would draw.

Because now he was obviously a rarity. At least the aspects of Nezumi that made him rare were much more well-hidden.

Nezumi continued to lead them in silence for few more blocks before he turned toward the small field that had grown in once the building that had been there had been torn down. He walked close to the right side of it until he hit the stairs that led down to his bunker, Shion following behind without hesitation.

He stepped up to the door and worked free the three locks that he had before he could push the door open and step inside, reaching over to turn on one of the larger lights that he had in the place since Shion wasn’t used to finding his way around the room and his night vision sucked about as much as it could.

Shion stepped in behind Nezumi and looked around, Nezumi grinning at the expression of wonder the other teen had. He probably hadn’t expected the lines of bookshelves completely filled with books taking up a majority of the room. But Nezumi had been collecting for years and his books were one of very few things he was genuinely proud of.

Shion stepped into the room, walking over to the nearest stack of books and reached out to run his fingers over the spines of a few as he read the titles. “I don’t think I’ve seen this many books outside of a library,” he commented. Then there was a pause before he looked at Nezumi with a suspicious gaze. “You didn’t accumulate these from a library, did you?”

Nezumi couldn’t help but laugh at that accusation. “Whatever happened to your certainty that I’m not an Oni?” he asked instead of just giving a straight answer.

“Theft alone doesn’t make someone an Oni as it doesn’t require a core to commit.”

Nezumi rolled his eyes then, though he was still amused. “No, I didn’t rip off a library. A lot of them I just found tossed out, some I sort of inherited from people, and some I actually deigned to spend money on.”

Shion went back to looking through the books and Nezumi was a little surprised that it was so interesting to the other teen. Then again, there wasn’t much more to the room. Nezumi’s bed was along the back wall while he had what worked as a kitchen off to the left of the door. There was a couch between the kitchen and the bed with a table in front of it so it had more than the necessities. He had a bathroom with a shower and bath he’d put together, but you had to go out the door and walk around to the other side of the bunker where there was a second entrance. It was comfortable enough and functional and all that Nezumi needed to survive.

After a few more moments, Shion turned back toward Nezumi with his usual smile and declared, “I like it here.”

Nezumi crossed his arms and raised an inquisitive eyebrow. Shion was so strange. “Really?”

“Yeah, it’s comfortable, not a whole bunch of wasted space. I remember when I was really young, before my mom opened the bakery, we living in the place that was provided to her as a high-ranking Deva. It was pretty big. Way too big for just the two of us. And I always felt like I couldn’t relax because then I might break something and I’d be in trouble with the Devas even though it was our house. But them Mom decided to open the bakery and we moved where we are now. It always felt more like a home. It feels the same way here: lived in and safe.”

Nezumi really needed to stop being so thrown by the observations Shion made. He needed to get his mind around how someone could be so astute about some things and completely ignorant of others.

“Yeah, well, I’ve been here a while. It works for me.”

Shion turned away from the bookcase, then stepped away so he could lean against the wall next to the door, his hands clasping behind him at his lower back and he was looking down toward the floor, making Nezumi think he looked smaller like that. And considering that Shion already was just a bit below the average height, he didn’t need to appear smaller.

“So, um, why am I here?”

“Because, despite your epiphany a few hours ago, it still looked like you needed a change of scenery.”

“Why would you think that? It’s not like I attempted to access my cores again. Despite not really utilizing any abilities, I still felt as though I’d put some strain on my power level. To be honest, I’ve been neglecting many steps in the awakening of another core, let alone two. I should have gone to consult with another Clairvoyant or even a Seer to determine my power capabilities for each core so I don’t press them too far and further affect my control.”

Nezumi rolled his eyes as he flopped back onto the couch; he couldn’t tell if this was Shion going for a purposeful distraction or if he was genuinely following a train of thought. Nezumi hadn’t seen enough of the prior to pick out the difference reliably. And this was also touching on aspect of Shion’s training as a Deva that he _had_ completed: communication tactics. So, even if he may not be good at hiding things usually, everyone had their good days where they accomplished things outside their norm.

“Or you could give a mirror a try,” he interrupted.

Shion glanced over at him. “But I’m unreliable. My control and all abilities with my Clairvoyant disposition are severely compromised. I couldn’t count on anything I saw to be an accurate evaluation.” Red eyes dropped back to the floor as Shion’s cheeks flushed slightly. “It also wasn’t something I was necessarily good at, gauging power levels while at rest. I can confirm core presence, determine where the core is centered, identify influence of Oni actions, and track buildup of power and where its being gathered or channeled through which can sometimes reveal disposition.”

Draping an arm along the back of the couch so he was angled a bit more toward Shion, Nezumi had to admit that if those were the abilities that Shion had become even moderately proficient at as a Deva – let alone the likelihood of him probably having outright mastered them – then he did make for a valuable person to have in the field. Clairvoyants were so often placed at a desk or in evaluation roles that they had a bit of a reputation that Nezumi had apparently bought into more than he should. What if Clairvoyants on the whole were being wasted and Shion had been a prime example?

It might explain the animosity that Shohei guy that Shion reported to had towards the young Deva.

“It’s not like you need to know where you’re topping out to get a feel for accessing your cores. Maybe if you stopped worrying about what you’re supposed to be doing about this and just do what feels right, you might actually make some headway. That’s what happened today. Take the hint your cores are obviously trying to get across to you.”

“That’s always been…difficult for me.”

Nezumi gave half a grin. “Imagine that: you have trouble with something you can’t find out of a textbook.”

Shion gave him a frustrated look and Nezumi just kept appearing as nonplussed about it all as he could. Though that was much easier now than it had been earlier.

Shion then let out a heavy sigh and pushed off the wall to walk over and sit on the couch next to Nezumi, remaining a respectable distance away. He clasped his hands together on his lap, though he soon released the grip and the fingers of his right hand began twisting the ring he’d put onto his left middle finger before they’d left. Nezumi wondered if Shion was making things harder on himself by choosing to wear it, unlike his mom did with hers; all Nezumi saw was a constant reminder to Shion of what he’d been forced away from.

It was also what led Nezumi to realize that he’d had enough of the _mood_ that had been building for the past few weeks as Shion continued to struggle. But that had been broken today with there being progress, or that should be the case. Shion could control his Dispel core, however slightly, and his Wraith core was ready to be put to use. That was enough for them to get over any concerns that Shion wasn’t able to use his cores proficiently and Nezumi would see Shion break through this destructive mindset.

Nezumi was a man of instinct. A lot of times, he followed his first thoughts, only denying it when they were obviously bad ideas.

And this idea, it could be bad. It could end up being just about the worst idea he’d gone through with. But that wasn’t enough to get him to dismiss the idea. He wanted to go through with it too much.

He stood suddenly, reaching over and grabbing Shion’s hands and pulled him up after him, walking them around the table and to the empty few square meters of the room, then turned to face Shion and stepped so they were within arm’s reach. He then gave Shion a confident look as his left hand shifted grip around Shion’s right hand, holding it slightly aloft as his right hand touched Shion’s hip, then slid around the line of Shion’s waist and then up to the small of his back. Deciding it wasn’t enough even as Shion’s confused expression registered in his mind, so he took another step closer to Shion so there was barely any distance between their bodies.

“Follow my lead,” he instructed as he settled into the familiar pattern of a box-step waltz, Shion stumbling along. “It never hurts to learn something that has nothing to do with obligation every once in a while. Let’s call this a celebration of activating your Dispel core and then keeping it active when noticing things like that usually makes people lose hold on it. You’re not as far off as you think you are and you need to get that. I don’t have all the time in the world to make sure you get the message so now is a good time to prove that your brains are good for something. Good for you.”

Shion looked up at him, silent and contemplative even as he continued to stumble along behind Nezumi’s steps. Eventually, he did seem to catch on and they settled into some semblance of a rhythm, his feet dragging a little less, his arms and back not as tense.

Nezumi kept leading him through the dance for long enough that he lost track of time until he finally let Shion collapse into the couch, breathing hard but definitely happy and Nezumi was content causing that. Then Nezumi threw together some dinner for them and happily allowed Shion to doze with a book at the end of the couch. He wanted to see Shion relax in a way he just didn’t in his own room. But here Shion didn’t have any access to his reference materials or his computer and no one had access to him.

Nezumi needed to know he had options if the next three months didn’t go well enough.


	12. To Look

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nezumi inadvertently gives Shion a lead he doesn't really want him to have...

Shion wasn’t a morning person.

Nezumi hadn’t expected that but he hadn’t stopped being amused by it for the past half hour. Because he had only seen Shion waking up at the hospital – which didn’t give an accurate idea of what people were like – and he’d always come over to the bakery after Shion had already been up for a while, he’d never seen him right after waking up and he had to admit it was unreasonably…well, adorable. There were other words he wanted to attribute to the experience but that would be letting himself have the freedom to think whatever he wanted about Shion and that was something he was trying to avoid.

Shion had ended up sleeping curled up on the couch and Nezumi hadn’t had it in him to wake him up. He knew Shion had been having trouble sleeping – Shion didn’t actually tell him about it but the dark circles under his eyes were revealing enough – and he wasn’t going to interfere with him actually getting some rest if they wanted to actually make any progress in figuring out how to get him some core control.

Nezumi had woken up early, as was usual for him, and was in the process of making breakfast when Shion had first started stirring, initially turning around so his back faced the room. Then he had worked himself to a seated position, hugging his legs to his chest so he could rest his head on his knees and had fallen back asleep. The next time he’d woken up, he’d laid back down for another ten minutes or so. Then he’d sat up with his legs crossed on the couch and his head had been nodding ever since.

Nezumi had seen children wake up better than Shion.

He brought the oatmeal he’d made up for Shion over toward the other teen and set it on the table before sitting down on the couch next to him. Shion’s eyes blinked a few times to clear them and then he looked between Nezumi and the food before lazily reaching for the bowl with a soft “Thanks” and he slowly started eating. Having already eaten while being amused by Shion’s struggle to wake up, Nezumi just watched him.

After a few quiet minutes, Shion glanced over to Nezumi, flushing slightly, and then focused back on his food.

Nezumi rose an eyebrow at that. Shion had mostly gotten used to Nezumi watching him over the past few months and didn’t usually make any show that the attention bothered him. Resisting the urge to grin, Nezumi allowed the thought that Shion was surprisingly good at denying his own emotions toward Nezumi if he was reading this right.

But it still wasn’t the right time for them to stop holding back. Nezumi had already taken a risk last night and he couldn’t take another so soon.

“Thank you for allowing me to stay here last night. I didn’t mean to fall asleep,” Shion said suddenly, his voice gentle and low.

Nezumi shrugged and rested his elbow on the back of the couch to angle his body toward Shion. “You were better off staying than trying to get home as late as it was. This is far from an even halfway decent part of the city. I called your mom, by the way, let her know you were gonna be with me.”

Actually, he’d told her that he might just let Shion stay at his place before they’d left. She’d nodded and gave him a look like she was aware of a lot more than she’d ever make him say, about either Shion or himself.

Over the past few months, Nezumi had found plenty about Karan that spoke of her time as a Deva that had nearly become one of the ones in charge of them all.

Shion let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you for doing that. When I was a Deva, it wasn’t unusual for me to be away for days at a time. But since I was hospitalized, she’s been more careful about me, more concerned.”

“That’s what happens when her son is attacked and almost dies,” Nezumi said with a frown.

And, as usual, Shion gave a short laugh, dismissive as could be, and moved on.

He noticed that Shion made a point of downplaying what had actually happened to him, like it would make it less true if he just didn’t state it plainly. Nezumi had also noted that Safu tended to correct him just like Nezumi had when he did it to her.

“I’ve never been to this part of the city before, not even on assignment,” he mused, his expression becoming thoughtful. “Though I assume that is likely because the area isn’t exactly prone to calling in law enforcement figures, even if it is simply Devas or the U.E.A.”

“Yeah, we prefer to handle our own problems. On the rare occasion we’ve had of someone going around using a core to cause trouble, there’s plenty of people around here that like to show them that this isn’t the place for it. We don’t need that trouble. This place was a nicer area before it got turned into the grounds for a huge fight between Devas and Oni about a decade ago. Never recovered and made people want to keep both kinds out of here so they don’t make it worse.”

Shion looked over to him, curiosity clearing his mind enough to wake him up to be closer to his usual self. “What about the restoration systems the Devas have in place to fix damage caused by altercations?”

Nezumi shrugged. “Never cared enough to find out. Considering the area, that we’re on the outskirts of city limits as it is with nothing of importance around and plenty of other ways out of the city to other important places, they might have been told not to bother and just let it fall apart.”

Shion didn’t look satisfied in the way he always looked when he didn’t get enough of an answer in his mind and Nezumi figured he’d probably be looking that up once he got home.

“I know I mentioned it last night, but it bears repeating: watch yourself around here, Shion. There may not be an abundance of Oni to speak of but that doesn’t mean it’s all upstanding people. And you make for a damn easy target.”

“I understand,” Shion responded easily enough and Nezumi doubted he really did. Shion simply had no reason to really know what the danger was to him, not even with his experience dealing with some truly bad people like Oni. The people around here were a completely different sort of threat, though, the kind of threat that Shion had no business having any experience dealing with.

Nezumi didn’t save him from the Oni but he could damn well make sure he didn’t lead Shion into something just as bad.

“Well, finish up and we’ll head out. I’ll show you to the shower and you can get cleaned up if you want,” Nezumi moved them on and Shion nodded as he turned his attention back to his breakfast. Nezumi had no idea what they’d do with the rest of the morning but he wasn’t ready to have Shion walk away so he’d figure something out.

About an hour later, after both Shion and Nezumi had taken their turns in the shower – Nezumi had gone second and had returned to the room to find Shion organizing some of the stacks of books in the corner – they had left and had started walking toward the more populated parts of the area, Shion claiming that he wanted to learn his way around. Nezumi initially offered to show Shion a map but had been refused by Shion, claiming that was the easy way to learn a layout and he wanted to see more.

He wondered if Shion was trying to keep himself distracted.

They’d been wandering around for over an hour, Shion mostly leading the way with Nezumi following a few steps behind so he could try and figure out why this was all so fascinating to the other teen when Nezumi spotted a familiar dog laying at the end of the block. He was about to dismiss it – those things were always roaming the streets for their master – when it looked at him and stood up and he rolled his eyes.

He really didn’t feel like dealing with the brat right now and he kind of didn’t want to have Shion meet her either. So what if he was officially in their territory? The boundaries were more out of respect than anything and he wasn’t exactly recognized for having much of that to go around.

Nezumi took a few long steps to even up next to Shion as a few more dogs stepped around the corner of the building and stood in a line watching him approach. When they reached a few meters away and Nezumi shifted his right hand in his pocket to grasp at the knife secured there, one of the dogs growled and actually got Shion’s attention on it.

“Feral dogs?” he asked as he stopped and Nezumi took an extra step so he was more in front of Shion.

“Sort of,” he answered smoothly even as he pulled his hand free so he could flick open his knife in case the brat had decided he needed to be tested today. “They answer to someone who’s only one small step above them so I guess it could count.”

“What?” Shion asked, confused as one of the dogs at the end took a few steps closer to Shion and sniffed at him while a few others continued to growl at Nezumi.

Then the one sniffing at Shion sat and began wagging its tail at him, which the others picked up on and did as well and Nezumi was left rolling his eyes again: of course the mutts wouldn’t see any reason to be agitated against Shion. The guy was like a huge puppy most of the time. They’d probably take him in and spoil him rotten if anyone let him.

“Well, whaddaya know? The almighty Nezumi makes an appearance in my neck of the woods,” a familiar, gruff but young-sounding voice called out from just beyond the corner of the building and Nezumi shoved his hand back in his pocket to return his knife back to its usual place.

Shion went from where he’d been reaching out to pet the nearby dog to suddenly tensing and stepping back defensively, giving the most indication of Shion’s previous position as a Deva that he’d ever seen.

“Don’t worry too much,” he said, making sure he was loud enough to be heard by the brat who still hadn’t stepped into view. “It’s just the one the dogs answer to. Goes by Inukashi and has been prowling these streets for about as long as I have.”

Inukashi stepped out then, all compact body, skinny limbs, long brown hair, and ratty clothes.

Nezumi glanced over to Shion and saw him blinking a few times and recognized the motion: he’d at least tried to activate his Clairvoyant core, though he had no clue if he’d succeeded at all in whatever he’d tried to do. Maybe he was just looking for the existence of a core. It would have been habit at the very least, Nezumi figured.

“A Familiar?” Shion asked, speaking loudly enough that both Nezumi and Inukashi would have heard him.

And Inukashi proved that she’d heard because she gave Nezumi a suspicious look. “Who the hell is this guy?” she demanded. “You going around spilling everyone’s secrets to strangers now? Is that where you’ve been hanging out the past few months, betraying everyone?”

Nezumi scoffed. “Hardly. It’s not like it takes too much brainpower to figure out you’ve got a Familiar core. And Shion here just happens to be good at the guesswork.”

Inukashi looked over to Shion, who was glancing between her and the dog that had now moved in to sit right next to his leg and was looking up at him as though asking what was taking him so long to pet it. And so Shion reached down and scratched the dog behind its flopped over ears and it panted contentedly.

“Shion, huh? You why this asshole’s been pulling a disappearing act for the past three months?”

“Um…” Shion looked uncertain and he glanced over to Nezumi, obviously for some clarification or at the least an indication of what he should say.

Inukashi didn’t wait for an answer, though and just kept talking. “Whatever. Not like I care what he does with his free time. I just figured you’d want to know shit’s been going on around here lately.”

Nezumi frowned at that. Inukashi may be about the most irritating person Nezumi was associated with, but she did have the best handle on when things were going wrong around her territory. And if she felt inclined to share it with Nezumi, it had to be serious.

“Such as?” he asked easily, not wanting to sound too interested or she’d ask him to pay for the info or something equally ridiculous.

“People asking around about anyone in the area with cores. Few locals have gone AWOL, too. Word is someone’s appealing to their situations, promising to get them out of this hellhole if they join their cause. But all I have right now is rumors, nothing to say if it’s true or not. Better watch yourself; enough people around here know you.”

“Could say the same about you,” Nezumi shot back with a smirk.

Inukashi stepped up to pat one of the dogs on the head. “I’ve got plenty of eyes on me. Ones that do me a whole lot more good than anyone looking your way.”

That was a fair point, Nezumi guessed.

“You got anything else to pass along?” He had an ongoing agreement with her about keeping an ear out for anything that would point him in the right direction of who he was looking for.

But she held her hands out to the side and gave a shrug. “Nah, nothing else. You let me know when you get tired of hearing that.”

It had been just over two years since he’d gotten any headway and he’d been contemplating moving on to where the trail might be a bit fresher when he’d spotted Shion one day and something had kept him from going through with putting too much distance – like changing cities - between himself and that strange kid who’d gotten him free of the Devas before they pried too deeply. Then he’d started a wide circle around Shion, figuring out his “spots” and making sure he got eyes on him every other month or so. That had carried on for about six months when the Projector had really brought them back together.

Inukashi suddenly took a few steps closer, Nezumi having been distracted by his thoughts had reached for his knife again in response to the motion before he relaxed. Besides, the brat was focused on Shion, moving closer to him and giving him a closer inspection. As familiar as Nezumi was with Shion by now, he picked up on the slight shifting and the way the hand not petting the dog was clenching at his side.

Nezumi learned in the hospital after he’d woken up that Shion really didn’t like being the center of attention; it made him anxious.

Inukashi crossed her arms then and gave Shion an even look. “He says you’re Shion but I wanna know who you are.”

Shion frowned, confused. “I’m Shion Himura?” he replied and Nezumi knew Shion was trying to give a genuine answer. He just had no idea what Inukashi was asking for.

“What the hell are you doing with this guy?” she asked and Nezumi figured that was at least an improvement.

“Walking around the neighborhood.” Shion was still being genuine and not trying to be sarcastic because he really had trouble pulling off sarcasm; Nezumi was mostly sure he’d never even seen Shion _try_. But Inukashi didn’t know that and it was really amusing to see her get more irritated.

“Why? What’s your business here?”

“No business, really. I was just spending time with Nezumi.”

“That’ll get old fast. He’s got the appeal of a brick.”

Shion glanced over at Nezumi, who gave him a passive shrug, and then focused back on Inukashi. “How do you know each other?” he asked, his tone polite, similar to the voice he used to speak to customers at the bakery but in this case it was likely to be what he was settling on until he had a better idea of how to interact with Inukashi.

“I handle information in the area, sell it to people who have the money to get it from me. He needs it sometimes.”

“I see. How much is it for an answer?” That got surprised looks from both Nezumi and Inukashi, who then looked at each other before shaking it off.

“Depends on what it takes to find it.”

“I don’t need you to search anything out, merely answer based on what you know now.”

Inukashi gave him a penetrating look, obviously trying to figure Shion out before she committed to anything. But then she seemed to come to a decision and crossed her arms, relaxing her stance a bit as she grinned. “Well, if that’s the case, I’ll give you one on the house. Besides, I feel like it’s not in my best interest to make you owe me one. You’re obviously not from around here and we don’t need you bringing any undue attention this way.”

“You mentioned users in the area being asked about and some going missing. Do you know if anyone who has gone missing was a Plague?”

Nezumi just barely managed to keep from looking surprised. How could Shion be thinking of making any sort of connection between his attack and what happened to be going on around here. People went missing in this part of town all the time. For the most part, nobody cared with whatever they were dealing with on their own. It was just one less person to step around or worry about jumping them.

When Inukashi paused in giving an answer, Shion continued. “As a Familiar, you can communicate with animals. Dogs are among the animals that have been proven to smell the presence of a core, even identify dispositions by the difference in scent they have in their discharge. Now, unless trained, the name of a disposition doesn’t mean much to a dog, but their communication to you may give you enough to figure out a disposition. I’m merely curious if you have known of anyone in the area to possess the Plague disposition based on them having used their ability on anyone else or by their scent being identified by the dogs you are in close communication with. Familiars involved with the research into the subject as well as Shifters who possess the ability to actually alter their body to take on traits of animals all declared that there was a bitterness to the scent of Plagues, that their discharge reminded them of decaying flesh. It was always determined to be one of the most identifiable core scents no matter how many users they asked.”

Damn know-it-all, Nezumi groused silently. Was there ever going to be a day where he wasn’t able to throw around just how much he did know regardless of his own struggles. But at the same time, Nezumi had to admit that Shion was making a good show this time around. Inukashi at least looked impressed. Or lost. One of the two, if not both.

“You know all that and you don’t know if there’s one hanging around here?”

Shion gave one of his kind smiles, one that Nezumi felt made him look young and naïve and would be disarming to many who saw it. “I’m not a Familiar or a Shifter. I have no reason to be able to know the answer.”

“I don’t know about any Plagues around here, missing or not. Then again I don’t make a habit of keeping track of users because they’re users. I’d have to care a helluva lot more than I do to pull that off. But how about I do this because I’ve got a rep to protect: I’ll look around and see if anyone knows otherwise. Give me a few days.”

“And the charge? If you are going to be gathering information, I should be paying.”

“You got a lot of cash to spare?”

Shion frowned a bit and paused for a few seconds before answering, “I have some, yes. I’ve been able to put aside wages and have a reasonable savings.”

That wasn’t a surprise. Karan had told Nezumi in passing that being a Deva was a paid position but it wasn’t much because they had other ways of taking care of their people set up, like the organization having its own support networks, properties, and deeds in housing, food, and clothing. Basically, if a Deva was on duty, they were taken care of as a benefit to the dangerous job they did. There were even systems set up for a Deva leaving the Organization on good terms – basically retiring out – to make sure they were set up with another job. Karan had gone on to say that Shion had refused that help because of his age and a certainty that he wouldn’t be struggling to find something to do when it came to it. But while he’d been a Deva, Shion had stayed living with his mom and so he’d been able to be compensated a bit more. He helped her with bills and then had put everything else away.

“I’ll figure something out once I know what it’ll take to get answers.” She turned toward Nezumi then. “What about you? Wanna put in any new requests? Mix things up a bit?”

“Nah, I’m good with the standing order. How else do you expect to impress me than actually giving me something on what I’m looking for?”

Inukashi scoffed loudly and turned away, hopefully done with them for the day. “Like I care about you being impressed with me. It’s not like your opinion would bring me any more business.”

Nezumi grinned at her back and relaxed his weight over to one leg. “When are you going to get over that underestimation of just what sort of influence I have over the people around here?” It was only a slight overstatement considering that people tended not to care much about what he thought, concerned only with what he could give them.

Most of the time they didn’t even care that what he “could” give them and what he “would” give them were on completely different sides of the planet. Though it was plenty amusing to play things up, get those disgusting assholes going, and then leaving them high and dry.

“I’ll get in touch through Nezumi to let you know when I’ve got an actual answer,” Inukashi called back. “Couple of days, tops.”

And she walked away, turning out of sight and the dogs gathered around them followed behind. All except for the one sitting next to Shion, which just continued sitting there enjoying the scratches to its ear that Shion was still absently giving it. After a short pause, Shion realized what he’d been doing and gave the dog one last pat on the head before turning his attention back to Nezumi. When the dog still didn’t leave, Nezumi figured it would be following them around for a while.

It wouldn’t be the first time. All the dogs Inukashi kept around were officially strays and they wandered the area freely, watching over their territory. So, if they happened to run into someone who showed kindness, they would latch on to that person for a few hours before returning to their pack with Inukashi.

“Do you know Inukashi’s real name?” Shion suddenly asked.

Nezumi slipped his hands back in his pockets and started walking again, Shion and the dog following behind. “That is her real name. She was abandoned by her parents around here when she was a baby and some strays took care of her, kept her alive. As she got older, people around her started calling her that and it stuck. Nobody even figured out she had a Familiar core until she’d already made a reputation for herself. Even then, it just makes people all the more careful around her because her pack is everywhere around here and nobody would get away with shit.”

“I see. That’s a rough start to life. I would assume the core was triggered to awaken by her being surrounded by dogs at a vulnerable age, allowed her to become closer to those she cared about. That isn’t uncommon for Familiar cores.”

“Speaking of, you tapped into your Clairvoyance.” Nezumi made sure it sounded nothing like a question, giving Shion less opportunity to find a way around giving a straight answer. “Do you really think that was the best idea considering everything going on with your cores?"

Shion shrugged. “It was more habit than anything. I’m used to taking a quick Clairvoyant look at people when I first meet them, especially if there is a strong indicator that they possess a core. I’d already seen Inukashi’s core by the time I noticed that I’d done anything. It’s a relief, though, knowing I can at least see a core in someone without any adverse reactions.”

“Yeah, I’d say that’s good.”

“It’s still not as clear as it used to be. It’s almost like looking at someone through a dirty lens and it impairs what you see just enough to keep you from getting a full look. I’ll need to try and get beyond at least that.” He let out a heavy sigh and his head dropped. “It’s worse than restarting when I’m at a point I was far beyond even when the core first awakened.”

Nezumi rolled his eyes, his next words coming out in a tone that sounded like he was talking to a child. “Maybe if you stopped making such a big deal out of that, you’d have an easier time about it. Cores don’t like uncertainty.”

“I’m trying, I really am. It’s just hard to not be discouraged about it all."

“Then stop being discouraged about it and move on. You have work to do with all of this and we finally saw real progress yesterday. I’m not standing around while you put us back again.” Shion remained quiet and Nezumi let out a sigh but certainly wasn’t going to take anything he said back. He’d been taking an observational approach to Shion so far so maybe it was time he started pushing him a bit more. Shion seemed to at least somewhat respond to that sort of thing and they were on a time crunch anyway so why not. “Do you really think Inukashi is going to find anything out about the Plague?”

“Likely not. There’s absolutely no guarantee that users being sought out in the area have anything to do with the Sidhe that has been recruiting. And I truly believe that he has actually moved on from the city since Devas found out about him. It’s hard to recruit when you don’t have the freedom of secrecy. He likely told the Plague about me and left even before I was attacked; that would be the intelligent thing to do and he struck me as intelligent.”

“Then what’s your take on users in the area being looked for and disappearing, oh almighty former Deva?”

Shion crossed his arms and looked thoughtful. “It’s difficult to say without being familiar with the area and the people here. I can’t even look around and get an idea of a percentile of users in the area, let alone how many of them have committed Oni activity. But often when many users are disappearing, it is because they are becoming victims of someone trying to practice or prove their abilities. It’s what the Projector was doing except he was doing it in an area where we found his victims early enough to know to look for him. Here, they could operate for a long time, become extremely proficient before anyone even knew to look for them. Those are the kind of Oni that become difficult for Devas to defeat once they reveal themselves.”

It made all the sense in the world and was something Nezumi was peripherally aware of: the worst criminals were the ones who played it smart. They were the kind that made Devas worth having around even though they didn’t come around as often. Thankfully.

“I could try and point Inukashi in the right direction for gathering more information, encourage her to pass something along to the U.E.A. at least. She could even make it an anonymous tip and it wouldn’t come back against her while they began an investigation of their own.”

“That’ll get you nowhere, I guarantee it. Inukashi isn’t one to take direction from anyone. I’m pretty sure she’d break out in hives if it even looked like she was taking orders from someone else. Stick to endeavors that’ll actually be worth your time.”

Shion looked up at Nezumi, his expression heartfelt and caring and Nezumi felt his own heartrate spike at such a look being directed toward him, be for him.

“It isn’t a waste if it helps one person. And you are a user who lives in this area. Why shouldn’t I be concerned and want to make sure no one else disappears?”

“Because it’s not your job. Don’t stick your neck out around here; you’ll get it slit.”

Shion stepped ahead of Nezumi as he said, “Helping people has never been about doing my job. I simply found a job that allowed me to do something I wanted to do. People help each other without strings attached, Nezumi. Perhaps not around here, and I will admit that is likely for good reason. But that isn’t always how it is and neither way is wrong.”

“It’s stupid.” Nezumi was able to say that easily enough and even sound convincing but Shion had proven that point the day they met. Except Shion was the only person Nezumi trusted to be doing something kind for others without ulterior motives. Nezumi would second-guess everyone _but_ Shion and he had come to accept that. It also didn’t mean he had to reveal any of that to Shion unless he wanted to make a point.

“Yeah, well, you’ve been calling me that since we met so nothing’s different there.”

Nezumi gave half a smile at Shion’s back for his dismissal of Nezumi’s jab. If Shion could shrug that off so easily, he may actually get more than he let on.


	13. Focus In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shion gets better...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to take a moment and thank everyone who is reading this fic, especially to those who have left kudos, comments, bookmarked or subscribed to the fic. I genuinely appreciate every single one of those I see. I hope you continue to enjoy for the remainder of the fic.

The three cores he had pulsed in sync. They warmed his mind and chest and their power filled him, the discharge they produced minimal. They were connected to him, the links between those kernels of pure energy and his body stable and growing stronger every day at a constant low rate that he only recognized because he was good at picking up the difference.

Shion took in a deep breath over five seconds, held it for four seconds, let it out slowly over five seconds, waited four seconds before he’d inhale again. It was the rhythm for meditative breathing taught to all who were trained as a Deva with some modifications to how long he took to actually breathe in and out, the slightly longer durations feeling more natural to him and therefore easier to reach a state of full relaxation.

He’d been doing this for the past hour, using his breathing to heighten his awareness of his cores.

He’d been neglecting that simple strategy for the past three months, instead trying to leap ahead, assuming that just because he’d mastered the use of one core that the others would respond just as well. But now that he’d gone back to the basics, so to speak, he discovered that he really had gone about things completely backwards and had wasted valuable time in doing so.

He really should have known better.

Control of a core required understanding. Understanding didn’t come from researching other people’s knowledge, but by putting in the time to become familiar with his own cores. Other people’s experience wasn’t his own. Their cores weren’t his and he’d been ridiculous in how he’d tried to make it be any other way.

Shion had been afraid but not anymore. The Dispel and Wraith cores had formed to protect him. That is what they would be used for because that is how he would command them to work. He was in control.

Red eyes opened slowly, his vision a little blurry around the peripherals, but clear in the center when he focused on the ceiling above him. He blinked as he altered his focus and his vision became spotted, with entire gaps in various points but it was still improved, the parts he could see clearer. He’d have to start trying to remember checking if there was any consistency to the spots location and size to see if improvement could be tracked there as well. Blinking again, his vision went blank, just as it had been for the past few months. And he immediately had to close his eyes as the sensation of stabbing pain pierced through his head. No progress there.

He pulled his attention away from the core nestled in the right hemisphere of his brain and let his awareness shift to the left hemisphere where he had to be more careful about his thoughts.

His Dispel core was…short-tempered, Shion decided was a good way to describe it. It was the one most reactive to his racing mind, activating seemingly at random when his mind started working quickly through thoughts as it often did throughout his day. The difference was that now he was aware that it was happening. When he’d thought back on it after it had happened while he’d been on the balcony, he’d realized that the sensation was familiar because it had been happening since he was released from the hospital. He was surprised that Nezumi hadn’t seen it occur but then he would recall that he felt safe with Nezumi and it was likely that it didn’t happen often when the other teen was present. Furthermore, Nezumi wasn’t as capable of seeing fluctuations of core discharge or use unless he was paying attention or it was something anyone could see.

Shion wondered if Nezumi would accept his help in strengthening that skill.

As it was, he had to discipline his mind to make sure he only tapped into the power of the Dispel core and concentrate on allowing it to form around him like an additional layer of skin. Once it settled into place, his skin warming with the power enveloping him, he allowed the thought that he might need a little more protection and the membrane thickened to cover a wider area, expanding about a foot around him. He then thought that everything felt safe and he didn’t need to have such a wide area of awareness. The response wasn’t as immediate this time around, as was usual. The Dispel core always struggled against its power being withdrawn. But he was safe and he made sure his mind was only aware that there was no threat and the protection was no longer needed, that it had served its purpose. Only then did the power surrounding him coil back tightly around his body before it released and he was left with a tingling sensation over his skin.

It was responding faster, needing less convincing and concentration to accomplish that dispersal.

Shion pressed the first two fingers of his left hand to his wrist, feeling out his pulse. He hadn’t figured out a way to become aware of the Wraith core centered at his heart without feeling his pulse first. But once he made that connection in his mind of the core being attached to where that beat was coming from, he was able to pick out the sensation of his core buried deep within his chest.

If his Clairvoyant core responded smoothly to his exact command over his ability and his Dispel core overreacted to his thoughts then the Wraith core nearly withdrew from his attempts to control it. He was aware of it building power whenever he tapped into any ability of his other cores, but when it came to trying to get the core to act on its own, he had yet to really succeed. He could get a discharge of power from it but that was pretty much it. He wondered if it was because the Wraith core served a very specific use – cutting other cores off from their connections – then that meant that the only way to direct that power was to do just that.

He wished he had spoken with Yamase more about what abilities he had.

Even now, after his success in manipulating his other two cores, he couldn’t get the Wraith core to respond to him at all. Its power remained securely within the core no matter what thoughts he put into trying to gain access.

The Wraith core was what he’d need to prove himself capable of defending himself. The Dispel core wasn’t enough, not when he didn’t have any combat training and still had difficulty imagining being able to fight someone. He’d seen Nezumi get into fights a few times now – once with a knife – and he’d been frozen by the thought of having to cause others pain or be hurt himself. Nezumi had tried to find a way to word things so that he saw it differently, saw the necessity in defending himself, but Shion had yet to be able to get beyond his hesitation.

He was fully aware that it was likely the reason he was failing with the Wraith core, that his passivity was to blame. It would make sense and that frustrated Shion because he was running out of arguments to make with himself to try and get himself to change.

Moving his focus on from the Wraith core, he started the process over again, needing to make at least three more cycles through the process, alternating through the cores in the same order while switching up his thoughts and abilities he attempted to activate.

He’d been training like this for four days now, spending an hour at a time on the process and completing it four times a day. He was seeing consistent progress as he figured out the thoughts that worked the best and made sure to apply them until they became automatic.

Every core was controlled with thought even as they responded to emotion. And he’d always been good at figuring out processes and memorization. It was how he’d discovered his ability to identify Oni at thirteen and how he had become such an asset to the Devas while controlling an extremely passive disposition.

Shion was nearly finished when he was distracted by a thump right next to him and the couch jostled a bit as it was bumped into right before he huffed out his breath as something collided with his stomach unexpectedly. He shot upright as his eyes flew open and he gave Nezumi an irritated look.

“I wasn’t actually done, Nezumi. You couldn’t have waited just another few minutes?” he groused, knowing he sounded petulant and only caring a little. He was getting used to all sorts of sides coming out of him when he was around Nezumi.

“Haven’t you pushed the merits of training with distractions? Something about you not being able to control your environment so you shouldn’t train without something around to potentially throw you off.”

“Dropping your head on my stomach qualifies as more than a distraction.”

“Considering you tune out everything when you get focused, it’s a better distraction than anything else I could do around here,” Nezumi shot back, opening the book he held in his hand and looking like he was going to get comfortable there on the floor instead of moving now that he’d made his point.

“I doubt that. You just don’t want to try and find something.”

“Now you’re getting it.”

Shion shook his head, amused now, then he laid back onto the couch, his left arm reaching up to pillow his head as his right arm laid along his side and on his stomach as a means of deterrent for Nezumi dropping his head back on him again just to prove that he could.

And while Shion resumed his deep breathing that allowed him to be able to feel his cores easily, he didn’t try to access any abilities, instead letting his mind wander.

He’d been staying at Nezumi’s place for the past few days, sleeping on the couch like he had that first night, reading books he’d never taken the time to read before, cooking meals so that he did something for Nezumi and it was something he was good at, and he’d even started organizing the piles of books into some semblance of order.

He hadn’t expected it to happen. He’d just hung around so long and Nezumi didn’t insist that he leave even when he’d go off to work in the evening to do whatever job he had – which he wouldn’t tell Shion – and then he would settle in for the night, accepting Shion’s presence. Sure, Shion had returned home to change clothes and talk to his mom so she knew he was alright, but otherwise he spent a majority of his time at Nezumi’s with the other teen and felt more at ease than he’d even been in his own home.

He knew it was a horrible idea as long as he was trying to make sure no affinity tried to start forming between them. And because he knew how he felt about Nezumi, he was aware that any affinity that would be forming wouldn’t be a platonic one that occurred between friends. His feelings as they truly were would reach for Nezumi to be accepted or denied.

So of course he knew it wasn’t smart. That didn’t mean he could help himself. He only hoped that Nezumi’s private nature would work in their favor and wouldn’t be trying to reach out to him. He hadn’t felt anything like that, but he’d also not been close enough to anyone for an affinity to form. And while a parent and child would normally have an affinity form, though it was completely different than the one he’d form with Nezumi, there was a reason it hadn’t happened between him and Karan.

“I saw Inukashi on my way home,” Nezumi suddenly stated and Shion opened his eyes and looked over to Nezumi, angled so that he could see most of Nezumi’s profile. “She said to tell you to get ready to pay up because she’s got something she’s tracking down more details on. She wouldn’t give me anything else, but she must have something she thinks is important or she wouldn’t be looking deeper.”

“Interesting. I was almost expecting her to not be able to turn anything up. She should work as an intel consultant for the Devas.”

“You think everyone should become a consultant for the Devas.”

“I think more people have something to offer than they give themselves credit for,” he clarified and Nezumi shook his head on cue. “Did she indicate how soon she would finish?”

“Nah, she wouldn’t do something like commit to a timetable further than what she already gave you. It’s bad for business.”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Shion admitted and Nezumi laughed.

“Yeah, I’ve told her as much but she doesn’t like hearing me talk. She prefers we keep strictly to professional interactions and ignore each other’s existence the rest of the time. So I pay her a visit at her place every few weeks and make sure she gets thoroughly irritated with me before heading out. She just makes it too easy.”

Shion shook his head, not surprised that Nezumi would take advantage of being able to push someone’s buttons so easily. And the one meeting he’d had with Inukashi was enough to tell him that she was very expressive and would make for an easy tease for Nezumi. After all, Shion made for an easy tease even as he was becoming accustomed to Nezumi’s mannerisms and adjusting to the lines of propriety that the other teen regularly crossed.

Shion shifted his position, rolling onto his side so his body was facing the front of the couch and Nezumi, his right arm curling under his head to pillow it and he let out a heavy sigh of relaxation. He’d allowed himself to become much more relaxed from his training and breathing exercises and he didn’t feel very inclined to move any more than that. His eyes closed as he settled a little more into the cushions, getting comfortable in a way that he could fall asleep in if he allowed himself.

Nezumi didn’t acknowledge any change in his position, just kept reading and Shion eventually let his eyes close and let Nezumi decide if he wanted to talk anymore.

After a few quiet moments, Nezumi ended up breaking the silence and stating, “I didn’t expect that much difference in the Dispel core’s responsiveness in just a few days. It looks like it’s listening pretty well, taking on a different state quicker.”

Shion kept his eyes closed, remained relaxed. It was easy around Nezumi.

“It appears to be calming down even as I’m getting better about controlling my thought process. I’m even getting better about recognizing how much power the basic defensive membrane is using. I should be able to begin controlling how much power goes into it, work on conservation, maybe even work out a level that I could keep active at all times automatically. It wouldn’t be enough to really stop anything, more as something to serve as a warning system to a threat and at least mitigate the power of another core being used against me.”

“Are you ever not looking ahead?” Nezumi asked, his tone joking.

But Shion’s mind didn’t allow him to take it as a usual tease, instead his eyes opened and he looked off to the bookshelf across the room. “I hadn’t been before all this, not at the level I should have been anyway. I’m trying to learn from the mistake that got Yamase killed.”

He saw Nezumi looked toward him out of his peripherals but didn’t return the gaze. Nezumi closed the book and set it on the table in front of him before he turned his body so his side was leaning against the couch, his right elbow resting on the couch in front of Shion’s stomach and he settled his chin onto his hand so he could casually keep his intense gaze locked on Shion. Yet even as close as he was to Shion, he didn’t come in contact with him at all, which had to be a conscious move on his part. Especially since Nezumi had an unexpected habit of reaching out for Shion at strange times, the touches brief but never failing to hold the greatest impact on Shion’s awareness of the other teen.

“You ready to pick up a weapon and take someone out?” Nezumi asked and that got Shion to look at him for the extreme question.

“No and that isn’t necessary. I don’t have to be a fighter, just capable of looking after myself.”

Nezumi reached out with his free left hand and tapped Shion’s cheek at the end of the scarring. “Look at you not learning.”

“My willingness to fight wouldn’t change that,” Shion replied as he pulled his head away from the touch, relaxing back on his arm when Nezumi dropped his hand back down. This was very familiar territory for discussions between them. “Violence is an answer but it isn’t the only one. To believe in such absolutions is what leads many people to taking action that marks them as Oni.”

“They used violence against you. Why do you still think that not meeting that is enough? How can you still truly believe that being the only one not willing to raise a fist in this is the way to go?”

“An eye for an eye only makes the world go blind,” Shion gave a soft smile as Nezumi rolled his eyes at him throwing around a quote.

“You’re intelligent enough to string words together sensibly so don’t go stealing other people’s,” Nezumi declared and Shion let out a quiet laugh, catching the twitch of a smile on Nezumi’s lips as his show of amusement.

Again, this was far from the first time they’d talked about this.

“Don’t think I didn’t notice you still aren’t getting anything but a flash of access to the Wraith,” Nezumi switched gears quickly. “So, despite all the progress you’ve gotten out of the past few days, it isn’t enough for that thing. And it’s likely going to stay that way until you let yourself think differently when approaching it.”

Shion decided that if Nezumi was going to press him about this, he would do his own pressing about something he’d been curious about for a while now. “How does it work with your Siren core? What are the thoughts you have to maintain when you are forcing people’s perception to change just by speaking to them?”

Nezumi gave him a suspicious look and Shion wouldn’t have been surprised if he left. Nezumi didn’t talk about the Siren core. And while he didn’t often speak about anything to do with his Qilin core either, there was a certain way he closed off whenever the Siren core was brought up. Shion had simply stopped bringing it up but with as long as they’d known each other now and how closely they’d worked, it didn’t seem right that he allow that rift to endure.

He also wasn’t really intimidated by Nezumi in the slightest anymore and that helped a lot.

When Nezumi realized that Shion wasn’t going to budge on this, he rolled his eyes and let out a dramatic sigh. “Basically I need to be as stubborn as you.” Shion continued giving him an even look, conveying that he was completely aware that Nezumi had opened with his deflective answer. “It’s not about forcing perception. More like guiding it. It helps if you know how the person thinks otherwise they can easily shirk it. So if I have a good idea of what kind of person my target is, I think about those details as I shape the message I’m instilling. I have to want them to believe it or the voice influence doesn’t take fully. I’ll still be speaking through my core, but it becomes pretty easy to break through. Any other questions as to why I know what I’m talking about when I tell you your approach to the Wraith core, which is much more aggressive in nature than the Siren disposition, is wrong?”

“What’s the most difficult thing you’ve instilled on someone?”

“Define ‘most difficult’.”

Shion considered it before answering with, “You decide what you want it to mean.”

Nezumi was quiet for a few minutes. If Shion hadn’t been looking right at him, seeing the emotions that crossed his face, most of which he tried to suppress, he would have thought that Nezumi was going to refuse to answer. And there were definitely moments where he was likely thinking of doing exactly that but decided against it and continued to consider his response.

Shion knew that Nezumi had led a difficult life. Even without the circumstances of their first meeting, Nezumi had a closed manner that Shion had only seen in people who had significant trauma in their pasts. But when it came to asking Nezumi specifically about details of using his Siren abilities, Shion hoped that the delay wasn’t a matter of having many options to decide between. He at least had the knowledge that Nezumi had never shown the darkened mist of an Oni but there was much that could be done in the act of self-defense and that wouldn’t taint a core.

Nezumi took in a deep breath, looking resolute so Shion believed he’d decided on his answer. Instead of speaking, Nezumi leaned forward, closer to Shion’s face as he reached out with his left hand again to trace his fingers along the line of scarring on his cheek and then moved down to do the same where the line spanned the length of his neck. Shion’s breath hitched at the tickle along what had become sensitive skin and he knew his heartrate was increasing at the attention.

Nezumi _had_ to know this was the sort of reaction he got from doing something like that to Shion.

“Convincing someone dying didn’t hurt beyond what they could tolerate. I would have tried a similar thing with you if your core hadn’t cut me off.”

Shion hadn’t been sure what he was expecting to hear but it certainly wasn’t that.

“What?” he managed to ask in a quiet voice.

“Telling someone pain doesn’t matter is difficult to pull off. It goes against natural body functions and defenses and that’s on another level of influence. That’s why Sirens and Projectors usually have to bury something like that in another message. Like how that asshole used the cover of fire to choke his victims; it would have taken more ongoing influence and power he likely didn’t have to just make people stop breathing. It’s similar with pain. It’s an ongoing thing to counter and I had to keep repeating ‘it doesn’t hurt’ for about an hour just because I didn’t think someone deserved to suffer before they died.”

Something about how Nezumi had said that made Shion wonder and he hesitated in asking to confirm but accepted he had already asked one difficult question and if Nezumi didn’t want to answer, he wouldn’t. “It didn’t work, did it?”

“No, not really. But I was young and inexperienced, in the early stages of getting things figured out about the Siren abilities, and they knew what I was doing.” It was always easier to break through the influence when the target knew what was happening. An inexperienced attempt would make that even easier.

“I’m sorry, Nezumi,” Shion said before he really understood why he felt the need to apologize. But he figured quickly enough that he was apologizing for Nezumi to have had to experience that pain, to have wanted to help someone only to let himself down and lose a person he’d cared enough about to want to bring a measure of comfort to in their final moments.

Nezumi didn’t seem too surprised to hear him apologize anyway so he figured it would be dismissed as so much was between them.

“You know, people who get to pick a life that can ignore the existence of their cores don’t know how good they have it. They can go through their days and just be another person in the world. Hell, having a core or not stopped mattering to people for the most part unless something was happening to shove it in their faces. But the minute you make your core a priority, once you let it be yours, you don’t get to go back. You can try but something about you is fundamentally different.”

“Because even a single use of a core creates connections between it and the user. If they never use it, there is basically a single connection that holds it in place to where it’s centered and allows access but it doesn’t really interact with the user. There are a few exceptions, dispositions that will maintain a close connection with the user and be easier to unconsciously access regardless of the person’s thoughts or preference, but they aren’t the norm.” Shion spoke absently, not really having a point to sharing his knowledge, just that he felt like he needed to interrupt Nezumi’s thoughts, distract him from the melancholy that had taken hold of him. “Cores are a part of us, just like any organ. Choosing not to use it is like having the gall bladder or appendix removed: your body can function without it, but not at optimum levels.”

Nezumi let out a hollow laugh. “That what you found to tell yourself when you started seeing things?”

“No, but it is what I found when I was trying to determine why there were some dispositions that appeared to have a higher percentage of Oni. Cores are simply the purest representation of human nature there is: any single one can be good or bad and what really matters is the actions taken with them. And no single action can completely decide the course of the rest of a person’s life.”

“I just love it when you get all idealistic about things.”

Shion smiled at the tease and felt himself relaxing again.

“You really should remember that there’s not always a choice. If you need proof, look no further than your own situation.”

Nezumi had continued to voice his displeasure about the Devas protective measures and Shion had come to accept that he’d be hearing complaints about it until it either wasn’t a concern anymore or Shion disappeared. However, he wouldn’t let Nezumi use it to make an incorrect point.

“Of course I have a choice and I made it as soon as I started training to gain control over my Dispel and Wraith cores.” Nezumi raised a questioning eyebrow at him. “I could have the six months or I could have requested an immediate placement and cover. It was why Shohei made sure to speak to me while I was still in the hospital and why I made a point of applying as a consultant. While I was genuine, it also meant that I would have to still be here in order to apply. And if you hadn’t been around and proven to be a capable defense against an Oni attacking me, there would be a more obvious assignment of someone watching over me to track my safety.”

Shion only noticed the times he was being followed by a protective detail because he knew all the Devas working in the area and he’d been on the other end of tailing someone plenty of times to recognize the patterns of behavior. He suspected Nezumi had noticed them as well and his lack of confusion or curiosity now proved he’d been right in that assumption.

“I still have time, Nezumi. It’s only been a few days of being able to truly train and there’s no telling what three more months will result in.”

Nezumi moved his hand a little, his fingers moving away from the line around Shion’s neck where it had been resting for a while now, and now he pushed his hand over Shion’s head, his fingers combing soothingly through Shion’s white hair. “Fine, just don’t be an idiot and forget you still have other choices. You want to prove your point to me, try looking a little closer at the options actually in front of you.”

Shion frowned at that as Nezumi stood up and moved into the kitchen area, covering his withdrawal from Shion by grabbing something to snack on.

A few minutes later as Shion had moved past the sense of complete relaxation from his breathing exercises as he trained, Nezumi turned toward the front door with a frown. Was someone there, Shion wondered as he sat up on the couch, looking between the door and Nezumi. He wouldn’t usually be so attentive toward the idea of someone being at the front door – living in the building that his mom ran a business out of skewed his attention in that regard quite a bit – but Nezumi had told him that people didn’t really know where he lived and was always insisting upon Shion how dangerous the area was. That was enough to make Shion as wary of the idea as Nezumi was.

A few quiet seconds passed before there was a light scratching on the door and Nezumi let out a sigh and rolled his eyes, his body releasing the posture he held in his readiness for a fight. He walked toward the door and even if his body was mostly relaxed, Shion noticed his hand was still in his pants pocket where he knew there was a knife concealed. He unlocked the door and pulled it open enough to check the hall before opening it wider and a familiar dog bounded by him and toward Shion. Shion held his hands out in front of him to intercept the excited animal, the dog stopping short so its nose bumped against Shion’s hand and then licked at his fingers a few times before she sat down and waited for him to give her attention like he had made a habit of doing. In wandering around the area in the few days since meeting Inukashi, they regularly saw dogs from Inukashi’s pack and while many of them were relaxed around Shion, this one would always greet him and then follow him around for a while.

Shion started scratching her behind the ears fondly, happy to give her some attention for taking to him like she had.

“What happened to ‘a few days’?” Nezumi asked and Shion looked up to see Inukashi standing in the doorway with another one of her pack standing at her side.

“Didn’t need ‘em. He finished snatching up all her loyalty or do I need to give them another few minutes?” Inukashi groused as she crossed her arms and gave Shion a harsh look. He had no idea if she was really upset that the dog was so taken with him. It wasn’t like he’d tried to get on its good side.

“Feel free to kick anything on four legs out of my place,” Nezumi shot back easily enough despite how Shion knew he didn’t actually mind the dog being there since he’d been fine with her curling up on the couch with Shion the day before for a few hours.

Inukashi didn’t bother waiting for an invitation, simply strode past Nezumi, who stepped to the side at the last moment and then closed the door behind the other dog following a step behind Inukashi. He then turned around and leaned his back against the door, the position defensible as it meant he controlled when anyone left and he could get to anywhere in the room relatively quickly.

“You wanted to know if a Plague had disappeared from the area recently?” Inukashi asked Shion, who nodded as he shifted forward in a show of focus. “Plague isn’t one of those dispositions people go around announcing unless they’re using it to make some cash.”

“It has a poor reputation because many become Oni,” Shion said absently, then realized he should probably just let Inukashi talk. She wasn’t used to him like Nezumi was and even Nezumi had plenty of times where he got fed up with Shion spouting out random information.

“Yeah, well when you can ruin someone’s immune system just by touch it makes for people getting nervous about you. Anyway, there was one in the area, a woman, and yeah she did sort of fall off everyone’s radar. Thing was it happened about a year ago, not recently.”

“Were you able to get any sort of description for her?” Shion asked with a quick glance over to Nezumi. While he hadn’t been able to get any sort of decent look at her features, but Nezumi had managed to expose enough of her face to get a fairly detailed description to the Devas.

“Short, gaunt, and apparently forgettable,” was Inukashi’s response, though and Shion was certain that would help no one in making a positive identification. He wasn’t necessarily surprised as this wasn’t a part of town where people were greatly remembered but he’d been hoping for something to connect the Plague that had attacked him to this one. And if he could gain that connection, he could get a better timeline for just how long that Sidhe was in the city working to gain followers, maybe even get a better idea of what other dispositions he had at his beck and call. “Anyway, you know if it’s who you were asking about with it happening a while ago?”

“It isn’t much to make a comparison. Yes, the Plague I’m looking for information on was a female, but I don’t know if she was really from around here, from the city, or an outsider. It’s entirely possible that it was her, but I have no way of knowing unless there has been a case of another user dying in the same manner that she used on me.”

“Wait, what?”

“Oh, while Plagues aren’t limited to how they can impair another’s system, many do find a specific way and stick to it, especially if they are Oni, practically creating a signature for themselves.” Shion had just barely finished speaking when he caught the look of amusement on Nezumi’s expression and the flat look he was getting from Inukashi. “But that wasn’t what you were talking about, was it?” he belatedly realized.

“You got infected by a Plague?” Inukashi asked, sounding doubtful.

“Yes. With Nezumi’s help my body managed to fight off the effects and I was able to survive. Everyone’s physiology is different and just like there are people immune to a disease that will affect a majority of the population, there are those who will be naturally resilient or even immune. If the affected is a user, of course there are dispositions that interfere and work to counter the Plague. Anyway, the Plague that attacked me had a different interaction with my system and it was enough that I didn’t die.” There was a tight expression on Nezumi’s face that Shion couldn’t completely decipher but this wasn’t the time to ask him about it.

“Why are Plagues going around trying to kill you?” Inukashi asked, making Shion freeze and his mind go blank.

He realized that because he hadn’t spoken to anyone outside the Devas, Nezumi, his mom, and briefly Safu, all of whom knew exactly why he was attacked, he had no cover for why he’d be targeted. Inukashi knew that he was a user but he was pretty sure she didn’t know his disposition. And he hadn’t indicated that he had a rare core and he wasn’t going to say that he’d been a Deva. He had nothing to say that would make for a good reason to be targeted by a Plague he was now looking for.

“There isn’t always a reason,” he settled with weakly and the look Inukashi gave him revealed that she likely didn’t buy it at all. It didn’t help that Nezumi burst out laughing.

“Whatever,” Inukashi declared after shooting a look over to Nezumi and Shion was grateful that she was so dismissive. “I was able to track down the building she lived in but that’s as far as I was able to get. A few others from there have been among people to have gone missing but all those were recent. She’s the only one from that area that went and vanished around that time.”

“I’d like to check that out. Where is it?”

Inukashi glanced back at Nezumi who shrugged at her and then she relayed the description of the building and its surroundings since addresses weren’t really paid attention to in this part of the city. And Shion had learned enough of the area that he was confident he could find it easily enough, certain he’d at least passed by the building a few times by now.

Figuring they’d reached the conclusion of the information Inukashi had to offer him from how she’d spoken, Shion asked, “How much do I owe you for the information?”

Shion was surprised to see that Inukashi suddenly seemed a bit hesitant.

“The dogs say you smell like food. Not like you just ate but the kind of scent that comes from being around it for a long time,” Inukashi said, the reticence continuing.

“Oh, my mom owns a bakery and we live on the second floor to the building. And we’ve lived there for quite a few years and I help her run it. I’m not nearly as good at baking as she is but I make sure the books are in order and inventory is done.”

“I’ll take food as payment. One item a day free of charge. One of my pack will go pick it up. Six months should do it.”

Shion believed Inukashi was shorting herself in that. And if Inukashi ever went on her own to get the agreed upon item, his mom would likely make sure she didn’t stop sending her food.

It was also relatively tempting to say that a dog didn’t necessarily need to retrieve the food, that sending one pastry or loaf of bread to another part of the city would barely take a sliver of his mother’s power. But he didn’t tend to go around revealing his mom’s disposition to just anyone, though he’d admit he’d gotten somewhat accustomed to people knowing by being around Devas for the past few years.

“Agreed. Give me a chance to let my mom know what’s going on before you send a dog to her, though. She’d likely still give it food but she’ll likely choose something that is better suited to the dog rather than you. Let me know if you have any favorite foods and I’ll pass that along as well.”

Now Inukashi looked stunned, like she hadn’t expected him to agree right away, possibly at all. He would understand if that was the case; after all, she lived where people generally didn’t do things so openly or in what could be considered kindness. That showed weakness and that was dangerous here in a different way than Shion was used to.

Caring about people and helping them in any way he could came very naturally to Shion and he had difficulty adjusting that about himself for this part of town.

“Well alright then. Are you heading over to the place now?”

Shion thought it over for a few seconds and then realized that what he was going to do and what he told Inukashi – and possibly Nezumi – needed to be separate things.

“Not right now, no, but soon. Considering how old of a lead it is and not having any guarantee that I’ll find anything, there really is no rush.”

“Make sure you don’t go on your own. That building and a few around it is where a lot of the streetwalkers like to take their business and other shady crap you should keep your nose out of.”

“Thank you, Inukashi. I appreciate that you tracked down this information. Even if I don’t find anything else, it was better than nothing.”

Inukashi gave him a long look, just observing him before she had enough and gave him a dismissive wave as she turned back toward the door and Nezumi. He moved to the side to clear her way one and didn’t seem inclined to continue any conversation with her. Inukashi reached the door and opened it, turning back toward the dog that was still sitting in front of Shion. She then looked toward Nezumi again before lowering her voice, probably to a volume she thought wouldn’t be heard.

“You should put this one back before he gets messed up more than you.”

Nezumi responded in the same low voice, “Since when do you care about anyone?”

“I care about plenty. And I actually know that if you don’t want someone to get hurt, you’ve gotta be willing to protect them. You don’t stick your neck out for anything but yourself.”

Shion frowned, his hands clenching into fists as he struggled to remain silent at how Inukashi was throwing around accusations against Nezumi when she apparently had no idea that she was wrong. Nezumi had already risked himself to protect Shion and he’d put himself in a position for it be expected of him to do it again.

Nezumi remained silent as well but he was also just giving Inukashi a confident grin that practically told her how ridiculous he thought what she said was. He’d given that same look to Shion plenty in the time they’d known each other. She scoffed at him and pulled open the door and left.

Nezumi rolled his eyes with a shake of his head as he turned his attention back toward Shion. He paused, seeming taken aback by the tension still in Shion’s body and Shion wondered what his expression looked like. Nezumi closed the distance between them, stepping around the dog easily and moving to sit on the table right across from Shion facing him. He reached across the distance between them and took Shion’s right hand in his, running his thumb along the knuckles and along the back of his hand where there was a faint line of the scarring circling his body that extended down from his shoulder though it hadn’t been as prominent as the other lines and had faded some since he’d left the hospital, showing healing that hadn’t been seen in the darker lines. But it was still more sensitive than the skin surrounding it and Shion felt his fist relax some at the touch.

“I don’t need to explain myself to anyone, least of all her. She made up her mind about me a while ago and it’s not a flattering opinion. I guess you have that in common with her, sticking to your opinion made of me long ago. The difference is that you might see me a bit better than her.”

“She shouldn’t say stuff like that about you, though. It’s not true.”

Nezumi smiled at him, it being a much softer expression than Shion was used to seeing from Nezumi and he felt his body relax even more.

“That’s not the sort of thing you should get a bleeding heart about. I’ve heard much worse and have it be true. I’m not a good person, Shion. I do what has to be done to survive and I will drop someone without hesitation if they get in the way of that.”

Shion wondered if he saw a side of Nezumi the other teen didn’t see in himself or if he was being foolish as Nezumi accused him of so often.

“Let me know when you’re ready to check that building out,” Nezumi declared in a complete shift in tone as he stood up.

“What?” Shion responded a bit absently as he had to shift gears himself. “Oh, I wasn’t going to worry about it today. Like I told Inukashi, it’s not new information and one day isn’t going to make a difference.”

“I saw that hesitation when she asked and you’re just airheaded enough to try and go there without me, resulting in getting yourself killed or chained to some guy’s wall as his sex slave for the rest of your life.”

“Nezumi, don’t be crass!” Shion snapped back, feeling his cheeks flush.

“Like I said, let me know when you feel ready enough to head over. We’re doing it today so you don’t get a chance to be stupid about it.”

Shion was going to blame this on Nezumi’s Qilin instincts kicking in and he let out a sigh and nodded agreement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll admit: it was a matter of great amusement for Shion to take a turn blaming Nezumi's Qilin instincts after how many times Nezumi has done that ^_^


	14. Ability

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following the lead they were given is a huge risk and they can only hope that it will be worth it in the end...

Shion had completed another brief session of meditation and practice at least contacting his core’s power, eaten a light meal, and read a few chapters of the book he’d been working on before he informed Nezumi that he was ready to go check out Inukashi’s information. Nezumi had been reading as well and he simply gave a nod and then went to a stack of boxes in the corner next to the kitchen area and opened the one on top to pull out a black length of cloth. Shion frowned as Nezumi wrapped it around his neck loosely like a thick scarf, wondering why he would do something like that when Shion had never seen him wear anything like that before.

He was curious but wasn’t in the mood to ask so he just let it slide as he stood and slipped on his jacket and followed Nezumi out the door and into the reasonably empty streets. It was in that time of the early evening after most would have returned from work and before those who operated at night really started emerging and it made for an oddly serene sight considering where in the city they were.

Shion took the time to think about what he would be looking for and how he would even find anything that might be there. He’d been thinking over his time wandering the streets over the past few days and what he’d learned of the area and he had managed to recall more details of the building, recognizing it as some sort of apartment buildings. Or it had once been an office building that the people had turned into a good enough place to call shelter. The outside didn’t appear to be in too bad of disrepair but that could mean nothing to what it looked like inside and Shion quickly realized that he really wasn’t in any position to prepare. He had no information to build any accurate expectation.

It had been a while since he’d been in that position and even as he trusted Nezumi more than he trusted anyone by now, he recognized that he missed the comfort of being a Deva and knowing he had the support of an entire division.

He and Nezumi could very easily not be enough if this was someplace that would present any sort of threat.

And even though it made no logical sense for him to think that something would go wrong this, there was a nagging feeling deep in his heart that this wouldn’t go smoothly. He was able to dismiss it by reminding himself that he was still inexperienced with his new cores and the core he’d taught himself to rely on was still recovering. He convinced himself that was enough reason to be unsettled now. And besides, it wasn’t like he had any dispositions that were supposed to be able to predict danger like that.

It didn’t take them long to come up to the building and Shion had been right that he’d passed by and taken in enough details to recognize it.

The outside of the building had a few small groups of people spread around, all gathered closely together and talking in low tones while the darkening sky allowed the random light turned on inside the building was becoming visible. It appeared to have plenty of people present that Shion felt a bit more relaxed, thinking that there was less likelihood of anything too bad happening if it was more populated than he’d been assuming.

Nezumi continued walking toward the building, his posture curling forward a bit as he pushed his hands into his pockets; Shion recognized the motion by now to know that he was positioning himself to be able to move smoother and get his hand on at least one knife. A few people around them looked their way, some dismissing them quickly while others kept their gaze on the pair, Shion going on alert at what he recognized in their gazes as a threat. But they just continued walking and they weren’t stopped. They ascended the few steps leading up to the main entrance and Nezumi tested the door, the latch releasing easily and noisily as he swung it open enough to step inside and Shion followed.

He looked around the room, blinking with a quick shift of concentration to check the room for any sign of core discharge, seeing nothing.

There were stairs at the far end of the wide hall they’d stepped into with about half a dozen doors spaced out on both sides of the hall. Just to their right was an old and faded display of room numbers, all the plaques visible covered in scratches, the names mostly unreadable while others were broken.

So it had been built as an apartment building but it had been a long time since anybody cared enough about it to be anything more than four walls and a roof. Shion stepped closer to the display, looking for anything that might stand out to him, Nezumi stopping and then stepping in so he was right behind him.

Shion was about to move on when he saw something on one of the lowest spaces where the name plaque had been broken off: a small skull and crossbones face was drawn onto one of them in marker instead of a name. And even though he knew he was being hypersensitive to anything that might possibly be a lead, when the person he was searching out was a Plague, a disposition that was very closely related to causing death, this felt like something with some substance.

“Really? That’s what you’re going to look into?” Nezumi asked, leaning in close to Shion and following his gaze.

“The panel is mostly untouched, hasn’t been vandalized and most damage seems to be incidental or fading naturally from time. This has been here a while and is one of the most common symbols of danger we use. What else would a Plague be recognized for except a hazard to everyone around them?” Just because Shion knew that wasn’t the only way for a Plague to use their abilities didn’t mean the majority understood that.

He’d stopped bothering correcting the majority of people when it came to matters like that. He only did when he thought it might actually do some good. And while he normally would share such things with Nezumi, it wasn’t the ideal time.

He looked over to the room number and declared, “Sixth floor.” Shion turned and passed by Nezumi, heading toward the stairs.

Nezumi fell into step just behind him. “Need I remind you what happened the last time you did something like this?” Shion glanced over at Nezumi, genuinely confused and Nezumi rolled his eyes. “Chasing a Projector. Ended up finding a Sidhe. Nearly died when you had two combatants with you. Does any of this register as something that happened to you?”

“That was a completely different situation. Honestly, I went into that with more information than we’re working with now. I knew they were both Oni and that one was a Projector. I knew what we were looking for and what the risk was. I don’t have any of that right now. All I have is old information and the feeling that this is the right track. But trying to find anything new is exactly what we’re here for, so I’m going to follow the slightest hint of it being the right course.”

Nezumi let out a short sigh as he skipped a few stairs to get ahead of Shion, taking back point and the protective position he’d been keeping. “Yeah, fine. Just stay out of sight until I’ve checked it. And if someone is there, we don’t look further.”

Shion didn’t argue even if he was already preparing the ways he could try and convince anyone at their destination to let them take a look around or at least ask questions about who had been there before. He’d experienced plenty of times where people would open up to him when they wouldn’t to others and he’d learned enough from Safu about neurology and human behavior to know that his gentle demeanor – some likely viewed it as naivete – put people at ease. He just hoped that his now unusual features didn’t turn people away.

They climbed the stairs to the sixth floor, Nezumi checking what they could see of each floor as they passed it, a few more small gatherings of people in the halls on two of the floors though they seemed to ignore Shion and Nezumi as they continued on their way.

When they reached the sixth floor, Shion checked what numbers he could see and filling in the gaps of the ones that were missing by the layout.

He nodded toward their destination, room sixty-two, which was at the opposite end of the hall on the same side as the stairs they’d just ascended. Nezumi continued ahead at a slower pace than he’d been maintaining, hesitating in front of each door they passed. It took three doors for Shion to realize that Nezumi was checking if there were people on the other side of the doors, still working to make sure he knew what the situation was. And it made sense: if something went wrong, people tended to check it out and they could potentially cause delay in Shion and Nezumi being able to leave. Nezumi even bypassed their destination to check the last doors at the end of the hall before doubling back to Shion.

He reached out and pressed his hand against Shion’s shoulder, urging him back another two steps away from the door and then back to press against the wall, making sure that he would be completely out of sight of the door unless anyone inside actually stepped beyond the threshold. He reached his hand out and knocked on the door twice, then paused to listen for a response, Shion hearing nothing. He then leaned in close to the door to check for noise like he had with the other doors before he kneeled and listened further before he at last reached for the doorknob and twisted to check if it was locked.

It was.

Shion quickly dismissed the thought that the door being locked might mean people would be dissuaded from entering, knowing that it _would_ have been naïve for this part of the city.

As if to prove the point, Nezumi reached into a pocket and pulled out a small fold of cloth and then picked out two thin lengths of metal and began picking the lock. A short time later, easily only about thirty seconds of twisting his hands around, he turned the knob again and it opened. He put away the picks and stood, easing the door open a little and looking to what he could see inside. He gradually worked it more open until it was wide enough for them to step inside and he’d stuck his head in partially to have be able to see all he could before looking back toward Shion and nodding for him to follow.

Shion frowned; Nezumi had told him to let him check the place first.

Nezumi rolled his eyes at Shion’s hesitation before he reached out and grabbed his wrist to pull him close so he could whisper in his ear. “You stay by the door while I finish checking. That is out of sight and I’m not leaving you out in the hall for just anyone to get an eye on.”

Shion nodded as Nezumi stepped into the room, keeping a hold on Shion’s wrist until he was inside, urging Shion to stand close to the wall so that he could see back out into the hall even as Nezumi closed it nearly all the way. He made eye contact with Shion, then glanced toward the door and Shion nodded understanding: he’d be keeping an eye out here until Nezumi cleared the rest of the place. Nezumi turned like he was going to walk away, but hesitated and looked back to Shion, who gave him a questioning look. Then Nezumi reached for him once more and tapped his finger against his left temple a few times, giving him an expectant look.

It took Shion a few seconds to understand what Nezumi was communicating before it hit him and he nodded. Nezumi dropped his hand away but didn’t move away and Shion suppressed letting out a sigh at the other teen’s insistence.

He reached for the Dispel core and invited it to cover him, protect him, and the air around his body rippled with a layer of power that searched for a threat. It concentrated in on Nezumi for a second, responding to the presence of a nearby core but appeared to either recognize Nezumi as one who was constantly nearby or that he wasn’t a threat and it settled into an even barrier of sensation surrounding Shion. Shion looked back to Nezumi who gave a slight nod before he stepped into the room and walked away silently.

It certainly didn’t look like anyone had been here for a while based on there being a solid layer of dust to everything. What Shion could see of the walls and floor were decrepit and stained and he wondered if every room looked like this or if it was just this one for being presumably empty. It certainly looked to be just a little bit worse off than what they’d seen in the halls on the way up.

And what he could see of the room, there weren’t many things left behind. Nothing on the walls or belongings left randomly strewn about. He’d expected to see at least something. After all, if people had four walls they could come back to consistently, they tended to start putting things within those four walls to claim the space as their own in a way; it was a security thing, feeling safer because what surrounded them was theirs.

But he couldn’t see much of the room and that could still be the case, Shion reminded himself as he looked back toward the hall to make sure it was still clear.

About a minute later he was wondering if Nezumi had found something to delay him and had been anxiously considering ignoring being told to stay put and find him when the blanket of energy surrounding him shifted, concentrating to a point between Shion and the gap of the door.

Shion took a cautious step backward, moving further into the room. Even if his Dispel core wasn’t trained nearly enough to reliably distinguish between a threat and someone happening to pass by with a core, there was nothing about where he was to say that this was likely to be someone who wasn’t a threat in some manner.

He stepped further as a shadow passed the door, but he wasn’t at an angle anymore where he could see out. He just kept moving backwards, stepping as lightly as he could while remaining close to the wall where it would be less likely for any creaks in the floor to have developed, making sure he moved smoothly and slowly and eased into his steps in the way he was trained. He’d done well in stealth drills in his Deva training, his slightly under average stature and attention to detail working in his favor.

But the shadow on the other side of the door hadn’t passed and Shion was sure he heard the light footsteps of multiple people.

His narrow surroundings opened up on his left and he glanced over to see what would have been a living room though there was only piles of trash and clothes spread throughout and nothing really substantial that could quickly conceal him like furniture that wouldn’t be obvious that it had just been disturbed. The far wall was what could be considered a kitchen, with an old stove and mini-fridge, both looking like even if they worked still they hadn’t been used recently. That’s all there was in that direction; no Nezumi.

A little further back was a door on the right and he continued to move back, though he moved a little quicker as he was further from the entry point.

He was nearly to the door and had started stepping across to the other side of the hall when the door swung open. He was surprised at the sudden explosive sound of a gun firing. He let out a surprised shout as he threw himself to the ground, his arms covering his head instinctively.

He felt a line of pain burn up the back of his left shoulder and figured that he’d been grazed.

He didn’t pause, though. He had nothing he could do against a gun. He rolled toward the doorway reaching for the frame to pull himself through and out of sight. He’d just made contact with the frame when he felt something drape over the length of his body which the Dispel barrier flashed at but didn’t respond to further. His arms were grabbed and he was pulled through the door before it was slammed behind him. He rolled to a seated position and looked up as Nezumi crouched low over him. He looked down to see the length of cloth that Nezumi had wrapped around his neck was what was laid over him.

It was shimmering with power that Shion could see even without his Clairvoyant core active.

A Qilin barrier molded into an object? That was…the first time Shion had ever seen anything like that. Yes, Qilin’s created barriers, and while a majority were only barriers to combat the power of a core, some could protect against physical dangers, such as bullets. But Shion had only seen and heard of the barriers being controlled through specific hand positions, physiological movements that controlled the type of barrier and its size, never being channeled through an object.

Nezumi moved in closer to Shion, gaining his focus, and he grabbed his arm and pulled him up to his knees, pulling him closer so he could talk in a low voice.

“Did you see how many?” Nezumi asked and Shion thought back to what he saw before he’d jumped.

“I only saw three. The Dispel barrier reacted so there’s a user among them. They’re good at covering their movements.”

Nezumi nodded. “That only works if I’m touching it,” he said with a quick glance at the length of cloth. It was only then that Shion had realized that Nezumi’s closer left hand was holding onto a corner of the cloth. He’d probably practiced a lot to get proficient at remaining aware of where the cloth was positioned so he could maintain contact. This was something that he knew he could rely on or he wouldn’t have grabbed it.

But that also meant that he couldn’t freely fight back and use it to protect Shion at the same time.

And the way he’d thrown it out over Shion and then pulled him through the door meant that the people outside knew that there was more than one person here so they couldn’t attempt a trick.

Shion’s mind was racing to find a solution, any plan of attack that could get them out of this when there was a casual knock at the door.

“Hello in there,” a woman’s voice sounded in a taunt through the door and Shion saw Nezumi’s shoulders tighten before he was pulling at the cloth to free it from Shion, only to throw it around his shoulders as he slid around to kneel behind Shion, their bodies lining up and he then wrapped his arms and the cloth around Shion, covering him even as he bore down on Shion to make him curl further in on himself.

“Nezumi, if they come at us with a core, I don’t have the control to make sure it doesn’t cancel out your barrier,” Shion protested. He was limiting Nezumi and that would get Nezumi hurt, he just knew it.

“You’re still tapped into your core and both barriers are still active. Your control may not be great but the core’s instincts are good enough to make up the difference. Just try not to use the Wraith core unless I’m clear. That one I’m not so sure about.”

Nezumi had a point, a good one, but this still felt wrong to Shion. Something was wrong with this.

There was another knock at the door. “Come on, no need to be rude about this. Open up and we can talk about what you’re doing here.”

The tone was chiding, teasing, taunting in its politeness. Nezumi’s arms tightened around Shion seemingly unconsciously and Shion looked over his shoulder to the other teen.

Nezumi glanced forward to him before returning his sharp gaze to the door. “That’s the Plague, Shion. She’s the one who nearly killed you.”

Shion’s eyes widened in his shock. He hadn’t known that Nezumi had heard her voice. It wasn’t something that would have mattered in identifying her to the Devas but it made all the difference right now.

“We don’t know that she knows it’s you,” Nezumi continued though it seemed like he was talking more to himself now. “We can’t let her figure out and pass along that you’re alive. She thought she killed you and it has to stay that way.”

Shion reached up and covered one of Nezumi’s hands with his own, squeezing it in an attempt at calming him, doing what he could to keep Nezumi focused. Nezumi gave his body a brief squeeze before he again shifted the cloth so that it came over the top of his shoulder and draped tightly over Shion’s head, concealing him almost completely from sight while not cutting off Nezumi’s vision.

It was then that Shion realized that just because he needed to be in contact for the cloth to be a barrier didn’t mean that Nezumi was actually exposed. It was his power. It could be blanketing him in a way similar to Shion’s Dispel barrier.

“Well, then, I guess I’ll have to come in and introduce myself,” the woman declared before the door exploded inward and Nezumi twisted so they weren’t facing directly toward the debris. He maneuvered them a few steps back as well, Shion following the motion a little roughly before he figured out the timing to smooth it out without losing his balance or throwing Nezumi off his.

Nezumi didn’t have a disposition that increased his strength so Shion couldn’t make him take his weight.

Shion reached up and pushed the edge of the cloth out of the way enough that he could see and he blinked to make the transition of activating the most basic view of his Clairvoyant abilities smooth. He ignored the glow of the Qilin and Dispel power surrounding him so he could see what discharge there would be from whatever had just knocked the door in and get an idea of how many users they were dealing with.

One man stepped in through the opening, moving quickly with a gun raised and pointed right at them but Shion ignored it to scan his body, picking up the pulse of a core barely activated in his chest. That didn’t help Shion figure out disposition so he let his focus move past that man as he slid to the side and another followed him in.

There it was, the fading line of power being pulled from a core centered in the left hemisphere of his brain that flowed down to his hand. Shion glanced around then at the remains of the door and saw the same fading hum of core discharge, recognizing what he saw.

“An Aura,” he whispered. “Can plant discharge on something and use it like an explosive.”

And then the woman stepped into sight, her appearance matching what Nezumi had described to him and Shion confirmed the dim glow of her core in her heart. She wasn’t tapped into it at all as it wouldn’t do her any good unless she could touch them.

She looked at the huddled mass they made covered by the cloth and appeared confused, then made eye contact with Nezumi and her expression became angry.

“You know, they described who’d gone inside and I thought it was you but I wasn’t going to assume. Do you know how hard it is to find a good enough Regen to fix the damage you caused me without being able to hit up a hospital? You busted up my knee when you knocked me down to the concrete, you asshole!” She spoke louder as she talked, stepping forward in her anger. “All for what? That fucking kid who decided to mess with the wrong people? He should have known better than to get on the radar of the Oni. We don’t like people looking into our business.”

So she didn’t know it was Shion with Nezumi. If they’d given basic descriptions, then nothing that would make that description match what she knew him to look like. And she had no reason to think her infection had been thwarted based on his disposition at the time.

And with his control limited, he couldn’t guarantee he’d stand much better of a chance against her now. His Dispel core was overresponsive and his Wraith core was so far unresponsive. That wasn’t reliable against an experienced Plague or Aura.

And he had to admit for the sake of maintaining that little bit more control, he was scared of the Plague. This was the woman who had killed Yamase right in front of him and had nearly killed him twice with the same infection. He’d be a fool to not be afraid of what she could do with him now.

But he also couldn’t let it control him.

“So, planted lookouts on your old place and waited for them to tell you someone showed up?” Nezumi asked and Shion latched on to the calming timbre of his voice. Nezumi was safety for Shion, he’d proven over and over again. “Did you plant the location too? Have places around the area to set anyone looking for people who go missing to look so they can be added to the list?”

“Why not? It makes it easier than putting in the work to find users in the area,” the Aura growled and the Plague punched his shoulder and Shion caught the anger that flashed over his expression.

“No camaraderie,” he whispered because that was important. If they didn’t care about each other, they wouldn’t work together. They were as much a danger to each other as they were to Nezumi and Shion. And if it weren’t for the third one staying out of it with his gun trained on the two of them, they could have already used that opportunity.

“You’re such a fucking moron, telling them anything,” the Plague growled.

“What? It’s not like this guy’s making it out of here. He’s the one, right? The one we’re supposed to take out if he came along?”

Shion tensed at that: why would Nezumi be targeted? Just because he had defended Shion against Oni didn’t mean that he had really done anything to earn their attention. Shion was actually pretty certain this was the first time he’d actually used his cores when in conflict with them.

“Don’t risk it, moron. Now get in there and do your job,” the Plague ordered. And from the look the Aura gave her, Shion figured that it wasn’t a matter of her being placed in charge, but rather that she just like ordering people around.

It wasn’t enough to keep Shion from noticing the flash of warning he saw. “Nezumi!” he called and felt the arms around him tighten and prepare to respond to the attack.

Shion flinched back again as he was surprised by a gunshot being the first thing that he heard and he shrunk back behind the cloth instinctively but immediately looked up to Nezumi when he heard him give a low groan of pain. He wasn’t sure where the bullet had hit, but he thought he’d heard an impact somewhere to the side of his head so possibly where Nezumi’s arm was holding the cloth in position over his head.

It kept the bullet from actually penetrating but there was still some impact then? But that could be just as dangerous as actually getting shot if it hit the right place.

Even as Shion’s mind raced, he was turning back and watched as the Aura pulled a wave of power from his core and it formed around the skin of his fist, concentrating further until it let off a low glow that anyone would have been able to see. He rushed forward toward them and Shion felt Nezumi tense up again, though he also felt how Nezumi was starting to move.

“Back,” Nezumi declared and Shion kicked off the ground as Nezumi did, propelling them away just as the Aura’s hand swung in an arc where they’d just been.

Shion still felt the brush of power from the man’s hand, the layer of power surrounding him reaching out just a little searching out something it could make contact with so it could release its concentrated destructive energy.

Auras could manipulate their power in a lot of ways, but it was a purely destructive disposition.

It was also a disposition that had a low percentage of its user becoming an Oni.

As it was, the Aura had been prepared for them to evade and was following behind them easily, taking advantage of how Nezumi’s insistence on keeping Shion tightly in his grip slowed him down and put him off-balance. He lunged forward and this time swung upward, his hand colliding with the cloth channeling Nezumi’s Qilin power right where Nezumi’s arm was wrapped around Shion’s chest and the impact knocked his grip loose as the energy erupted, the cloth flashing with the power to defend against the strike.

And then the layer of energy surrounding Shion flared to activity and pulsed out toward the Aura, cancelling out much of the explosive blast before it really had the time to form.

It was enough to knock Nezumi back though and make his hold on Shion falter, the smaller teen falling roughly to the ground as Nezumi rolled back a short distance away and tried to recover his stance even as he shook out his arm.

The Aura was trying to figure out what had happened, practically gawking at his hand before looking toward Nezumi and then to Shion.

Not that Shion could pay that much attention as he was acutely aware that he was completely exposed. Acting quickly, he drew the Dispel blanket back close to him as he got his feet under him and moved to stand, keeping his head lowered to try and hide his features behind his hair even as he tried to keep his eyes on the three Oni.

The Plague was looking at him closely and while it didn’t look like she recognized him yet, he needed to assume it was only a matter of time.

The Aura was getting past his confusion and his core flashed again with another charge and Shion prepared to move even as he saw the man holding the gun point it at him – possibly realizing that Nezumi was a Qilin – and he was about to turn and try to get to cover when he was knocked forward slightly by the expansion of a usual Qilin barrier passing by him and solidifying just past him and he flinched back as he actually saw a bullet impact the shield right in front of him before it fell to the ground. And then the Aura was charging at the barrier and punching it to cause an explosion right in front of Shion’s face and Shion couldn’t help but stumble away even though nothing passed through the barrier.

He caught himself quickly, though, knowing that he couldn’t run into Nezumi and ruin his hand position or he would cause the barrier to fall.

The Aura was pounding on the barrier with no charge from his core now, angry and frustrated by being held off so seemingly easily.

“Keep your angle, back a few steps,” Nezumi’s voice muttered from behind Shion and he followed the directions immediately, happy to get some distance from their attackers. Three steps and he was even with Nezumi.

He glanced over to Nezumi, checking him over quickly for any injuries even as the other teen was bringing his hands closer together so the barrier shrunk down to form closer around them. He was favoring his left arm even though it didn’t look like it was broken and Shion couldn’t see any blood, though his jacket was black and it could be concealing it. The cloth was draped over his right shoulder, hanging loose and no longer glowing with power being focused into it.

Shion looked back toward the Aura, who had stayed where he was once the barrier moved away and was glaring at the two of them, a similar expression on the Plague while the third man just kept focused on the two of them.

Shion’s mind raced to find a way out of this for them. Qilin barriers took a lot of power to maintain, most only able to keep one active for a few minutes before it failed. And Shion had no idea if the way Nezumi had channeled his power into the cloth was something that drained more energy or less. And while a common ability for Qilin’s was creating a temporary seal around cores by basically creating a barrier around the core itself, Shion didn’t know if Nezumi could do that and it usually took even more power.

What if he could get close enough that his Dispel core could keep the Aura from getting a solid hit in on them before they struck him down? He’d just gotten proof that the blanket of awareness and cancelling energy surrounding him even now was sufficient in countering the Aura.

But what about the gun? And he still didn’t know the disposition of the man holding the gun. The only thing that could counter the gun was Nezumi’s barrier.

Everything Shion or Nezumi could do to counter was close range. They had no options for taking care of this distant combatant.

Unless…

They said that they were supposed to kill Nezumi, but did that mean they knew his dispositions? They’d certainly seemed surprised to have to deal with his Qilin barriers. And even if they did know that he was a Siren, would that be enough that anything he tried wouldn’t get through at all? Could there be enough of a delay while they shook off the influence Nezumi could plant for them to get the upper hand?

And would Shion have to drop his own defense in order for it to work? Or would the Dispel core cancel it out before it could reach them across the room? He didn’t know if Nezumi could direct his influence to affect some while bypassing others.

In his attempts to remain close to Nezumi, to learn more about him without driving him away, Shion had avoided talking about what he was capable of as far as being a user. And now he needed to know but couldn’t ask without exposing any plan.

And the Plague was still watching him carefully, curiously; all it would take is seeing him at the right angle, a certain motion from him, anything that could allow her to connect him to the Deva she thought she’d killed months ago and the situation would change again.

The few seconds it took for Shion to work through that much made no difference to the room, to the threat facing them.

“I don’t know what to do,” he admitted as quietly as he could to Nezumi, grey eyes shooting a quick glance to him.

“Stay back, where anyone who doesn’t know how to fight should be,” Nezumi shot back. “You’re collateral right now.” Shion prepared to retort but Nezumi took a step forward around him, the dome of the Qilin barrier moving forward along with him to keep him in the center. “I’m not kidding. This doesn’t work if you’re in front of me.”

Shion again was about to speak, try and convince Nezumi that he could do _something_ , that he could help, but he was distracted by the third user stepping away from the wall and moving to stand next to the Aura. They exchanged a look and Shion realized that these two had some level of genuine cooperation, that they were familiar with each other. It was the Plague that was the outsider here.

And just as Shion was realizing that, the two men dropped to their knees and the Aura placed his hand to the floor and drew upon his core once again, it immediately rushing to the floor and tearing through the wood toward Shion and Nezumi. The floor continued to buckle in a wave approaching them from the force and they both stumbled as where they stood became weaker and ready to collapse.

Shion noticed how Nezumi stepped to the side to keep his balance and saw how the floor was about to split and he reached out to wrap supporting arms around Nezumi’s waist, trying to keep him standing so he didn’t drop the barrier to catch himself from falling.

But then the real goal was revealed as the other man dropped to his side and stuck his hand and the gun into the hole that had been created by the Aura, Shion barely remembering in time that Qilin’s generally only created their barriers to cover what they could see, not creating a sphere around them. So, usually, their barriers ended at the floor even though they could alter that easily enough with conscious thought. Nezumi was still focused on making sure his hands didn’t move to drop the barrier, let alone alter it to cover the gap that had just been created.

Shion simply reacted as he heard the gun fire three times: he put all his weight back, pulling as hard on Nezumi as he could to toss him away, losing his grip in the process and they both fell to the floor again.

He was being attacked almost immediately, even before he could tell if he’d been hit by any of the bullets. His shoulder was roughly grabbed and he was yanked around to his back to look up into the furious blue eyes of the Aura, the man’s large body straddling Shion’s stomach and hips to keep him in place. He made a desperate mental reach for his Dispel power and felt it surround him at once, having barely dissipated from his distraction.

And he’d just barely had it activated when the Aura pressed his hand against Shion’s chest and Shion watched as his hand glowed with his Aura power before Shion’s own energy concentrated around his hand to cancel it out just before it could make those final changes into its destructive phase.

The Aura’s eyes flashed with pure rage and he pulled both arms up and Shion saw the intended strikes in time to bring up both arms to cover his head as he turned it to the side, trying to keep from getting hit in a way that would inhibit his concentration.

He couldn’t take a solid hit to the head from a man this strong or he’d be done.

His eyes opened enough that he could see Nezumi struggling across the room with the other man. The gun had been knocked away at least, but now the man’s entire body was lit up with the glow of a core’s power flowing throughout it.

With his core being centered in his heart, that meant he was likely a Berserker. That would explain why he’d kept a distance until he was guaranteed to be able to put his abilities to use. A Berserker core gave the user a huge increase in strength and stamina, but it only lasted for a few minutes depending on the core’s power.

He could kill Nezumi!

Another strike against his arm caught Shion’s attention and he was suddenly overcome with the urge to finish this. He had to protect Nezumi.

The power flowing from his Dispel core surged and formed a thick layer around him, enveloping him in a way that had felt different than he’d experienced so far. He felt the man on top of him freeze and he lowered his arms to look up at the man.

He could see the mist of the darkened core discharge surrounding the man, something he hadn’t seen in months now, clear as it had ever been.

Understanding what he had to do, Shion reached up and grabbed the Aura’s wrists before he concentrated all his power into that point of contact and felt the energy flow from his hands and shoot throughout the other man’s body, his limbs jerking like he was being electrocuted.

And even before that rush of his energy had even finished its course, Shion reached for the core that had yet to truly respond to him: the Wraith core humming with unused power in his heart. But this time it flared in response and Shion actually felt the rush of power that would end this fight.

His eyes locked onto the pulse of power at the man’s left temple and he let go of one wrist to reach up and press his palm to the man’s face as he commanded his Wraith core to stop this core.

Then, as his hand glowed with a dark shimmer of energy, the Dispel attack he’d already pressed into the man’s body moved to concentrate around his core as well and he felt both of his cores strike out and the man let out an ear-piercing scream and fell forward, limp and unconscious.

Shion couldn’t stop to figure out what had just happened, though, it being different than what he’d expected. He had to protect Nezumi. Nezumi was still in danger. He struggled to push against the man’s dead weight on top of him, struggling out from under it as quickly as he could.

“You’re not that strong!” Nezumi’s voice suddenly called out through the room and Shion could feel difference in his voice that meant he’d tapped into his own core, trying to combat the Berserker however he could. Shion had no idea if that would really work and he doubled his efforts to work himself free.

He’d at least gotten most of the man’s weight pushed to the side and was starting to work his hips free when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye and looked over just in time to see the Plague rushing toward them, her core already tapped into and ready to strike. And it looked like she was intent on Nezumi and so Shion couldn’t help but fight against the weight still holding him down until his feet finally came free and he stumbled to his feet and charged toward her even as he built up another wave of Dispel power.

She must have caught him moving as she suddenly rounded on him and lunged for him, the sight unsettling in its familiarity.

“You won’t affect him!” Nezumi’s voice called through the room again, this time obviously directed at the Plague and Shion saw the stutter of her power as he obviously succeeded in having some influence.

And it gave enough pause for Shion to reach out for her and touch his hand to the skin of her neck, closer to the core centered in her heart. He reached for his Wraith core once more and sent the same command for it to stop this core.

Again, it responded immediately, passing through his hands and through her body to wrap around her core and it went dim.

She stumbled away from him and Shion stepped around her toward where Nezumi was still fighting with the Berserker. There was blood covering both of them and Nezumi was obviously relying on the cloth for protection while trying to buy time for the Berserker’s time to wear off.

Shion didn’t hesitate, simply lunged at the Berserker from behind, knocking him off his feet and to the destroyed floor, tumbling away about a meter and then rolling over so he could get back to his feet. He’d just regained his footing when he looked up and saw Nezumi press his hand to the Berserker’s face before the man could recover his own balance and all the power faded from his body at once, the core going dark so that Shion couldn’t actually see it anymore, only the pulse of a seal surrounding it and preventing the man from accessing it. The shock to his system being flooded with power to being cut off from it so completely resulted in his eyes rolling back and he fell unconscious.

Nezumi had sealed the Berserker core.

Shion focused back on Nezumi, allowing himself to look over him and try to determine how injured he was, though it was difficult. He couldn’t tell what blood came from Nezumi and what had just ended up on him.

And Nezumi was just staring right back at him, though Shion was beginning to notice the struggle he was experiencing, how he was blinking lazily and his gaze wasn’t as intense as it usually was.

He took a step towards Shion and that was all it took for his body to give out, Shion having to rush to his feet and quickly close the short distance between them to catch Nezumi’s weight against him and lower the two of them to the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry! I don't actually like using cliffhangers but there's still a lot that happens before the next break and I do like to keep within an average for chapter length and a chapter that would be close to 10k words on its own was just too long. Hell, this one already pushed past my preferred average but, again, this was just where it felt the most natural for the chapter break.  
> Side note: I wasn't planning on being able to work in Nezumi's cloak. But then I was writing and it happened and I was SO happy that it worked out to be able to include something so iconic about Nezumi and have it serve the same function even if it does that through different means. I love it when things work out like that.  
> Thank you for reading and the next chapter will be posted on Saturday.


	15. Cover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And the hits keep on coming. Literally...

Shion maneuvered Nezumi around, struggling with the size difference between them and the tiredness coming into his awareness from how much power he barely knew how to control that he’d used in a short amount of time. Nezumi had fallen over so most of his weight had landed on Shion’s stomach and along his legs and he needed to get to where he could check over his body and determine if there were any injuries that Shion could treat. Shion may not be a doctor or have any practice beyond basic first aid, but he’d read plenty of books about anatomy and he was confident that was enough.

Nezumi was in pretty bad shape; Shion didn’t need to start a thorough check to know that much as he was able to lift Nezumi’s torso enough to fold his legs under himself and then laid Nezumi back on the floor, glad that they weren’t where the floor had been destroyed.

He couldn’t keep himself from pressing his palm against Nezumi’s cheek and leaned over him, hovering his ear over Nezumi’s mouth and nose to feel for his breath to brush against his skin. When he felt it immediately, regardless of it being strained, Shion felt a quick wave of relief. Nezumi was alive and as long as he was alive, Shion could help him. In his relief, Shion rested his forehead briefly against Nezumi’s chin as he let out a heavy sigh. He took in a deep breath and started to pull away but hesitated and couldn’t keep himself from touching his lips to the side of Nezumi’s mouth.

He could allow himself just a moment for his feelings to be acknowledged, to just have one minute of not holding himself back. Because he couldn’t be distracted right now with monitoring his thoughts like that.

Now he really started focusing on finding out what Nezumi needed. And from how close Shion still was, he could say that it didn’t seem like Nezumi had taken a strong hit to the head, no obvious abrasions though Shion still ran his hands over his head to feel for swelling or cuts. There was a shallow cut over his right brow and some swelling in his cheek but they weren’t serious.

Moving his hands down to Nezumi’s torso, it didn’t take much to know that Nezumi had likely taken direct hits from the Berserker. He could feel two points on Nezumi’s left side where he’d taken impacts, feeling swelling and damage to his ribcage. With the raw strength of a Berserker, he could have caused organ failure with those strikes alone, let alone how broken ribs could cause additional injury. He ran his hand down Nezumi’s arms then, the left one fractured in multiple places where the cloth was still wrapped around his limb to show where it had taken hits and the force had still been enough to injure.

Shion had run his hand back up over Nezumi’s shoulder and down his torso down when his fingers caught on a hole in Nezumi’s jacket and Shion knew where most of the danger was from: Nezumi had taken a bullet in the abdomen just off to the right of his bellybutton.

“Nezumi,” Shion whispered, trying to not let himself get too panicked as he unzipped the jacket and then pulled Nezumi’s shirt up to see the entry hole, Nezumi’s skin covered in blood down the length of his stomach to the line of his pants. “I can’t…I don’t have…” He stumbled over his limitations. He could get the bullet out and check what if anything internal had been seriously hit if he had the equipment. He could get it out and make sure it wasn’t killing Nezumi. But he didn’t have what he needed. Hell, if he was a Regen he could do the same thing.

But he wasn’t a Regen. And it was impossible for him to awaken a Regen core even if he could force a core to awaken out of sheer will because he already had a core centered in the left hemisphere of his brain. Two cores couldn’t exist in the same center.

And people in this part of town didn’t call in for help from the Devas. He couldn’t be guaranteed that anyone was coming that did have the disposition or equipment to help Nezumi.

His vision blurred as his eyes filled with tears.

What could he do?

Wait, Nezumi had a knife. He could widen the wound enough to get to the bullet with his fingers and check the area and then use the cloth Nezumi had used for his Qilin barrier to tie the wound then at least start getting Nezumi out of here and toward help.

He wiped his arm along his eyes to try and clear them and was about to search through Nezumi’s pockets to look for one of his knives.

Just as he reached across to the right side pocket where he’d most commonly seen Nezumi pull a knife from, he was suddenly knocked forward by a body colliding with his back. He extended both arms over Nezumi’s body to keep from falling onto him and causing more damage but that left him exposed and he yelped in pain as there was a kick to his side and it was enough to knock him over and away from Nezumi. And again someone was straddling his hips and using their weight to keep him in place and he looked up to see the Plague just as she reached both hands for his neck.

He reacted, grabbing for her wrists to keep her from getting a solid hold on him and they struggled for a few seconds before she seemed to really focus on him and she froze, Shion knowing what that meant.

“You? You’re alive? How the fuck are you still alive? That infection had a contingency. He said you didn’t have anything that could fight it.” She suddenly started reaching for him, her efforts more intent now and he felt her nails scratch along the skin of his collarbone and then his neck as he was losing his hold on her. “You’re dead!”

He was getting so tired of being threatened, of his life being in danger. He had to help Nezumi. He couldn’t waste time on her. The cores he had were useless against her right now and they would be useless to help Nezumi.

His emotions continued to rush as his frustration built and he felt his chest burn, like he wasn’t breathing and his body was needing oxygen but he knew he was still breathing because he then let out a loud shout, all his emotions needing release as he put all the strength he could muster into pulling her hands away from his neck.

“Get off me!” he shouted just as he swore he heard and felt her wrists give under his grip and she screamed just before he threw her back and he was freed.

His chest was still burning but he ignored it as he sat up and got his legs under him.

The Plague was holding her hands in close to her body, cradling them against herself like she was hurt and how she was looking at him with a look of shock with a hint of fear as well and Shion didn’t understand why she was afraid.

“Fuck, he needs to know,” she muttered, more to herself and then she backed away a few steps and then turned and ran from the room and Shion followed the sound of her footsteps retreat down the hall to leave.

Gasping to make sure he was still breathing even as his chest continued to burn, Shion turned back to Nezumi and he crawled back over to him, picking up where he’d been interrupted by digging in the pocket and pulling out the knife there.

He unfolded the blade and took in a few calming breaths and wiped his arm along his eyes once more to clear them. He reached up and pressed his palm to Nezumi’s cheek once more.

“Nezumi, just hold on. I need to try and get the bullet out and then we can get out of here and I’ll get you to help. You’re going to be alright. I promise. You just need to stay with me.” He’d already started cutting into Nezumi’s skin, carefully making the hole wider so he would be able to reach in. Nezumi started to groan and Shion had to press his free hand against Nezumi’s stomach to try and keep him still so he didn’t mess up his cut, blood starting to flow down his sides. “I know it hurts, Nezumi. I’m sorry, but I have to make sure the bullet isn’t going to do more damage when we start to move. I need to try and make sure it already hasn’t hit something that means we’re low on time.”

The burn in Shion’s chest was getting worse and each inhale was starting to actually hurt instead of only being difficult. He was trying to ignore it, needing to help Nezumi no matter what was going on with him. It couldn’t have been the Plague infecting him somehow because she was sealed.

The gash in Nezumi’s stomach was long enough now and Shion placed the knife off to the side, keeping it close just in case he needed it again. He leaned over the wound and used the fingers of his left hand to pull the skin apart and peered in before he slid two fingers into the wound carefully, hoping that it hadn’t penetrated too deeply.

Nezumi seemed to be waking up now in response to the pain and his right hand suddenly clamped around Shion’s left wrist so it at least didn’t jostle his searching fingers.

“Nezumi, I’m just trying to get the bullet. I can do this. Once I get it out, I’ll get it covered and compressed to stop the bleeding and then we’ll get out of here. I can get you to a Regen and they’ll get you healed up and you’ll be alright.”

“Shion,” Nezumi croaked out and Shion let out a sob at hearing Nezumi’s voice.

Shion’s fingertips brushed against something hard and he had to focus on not rushing to pull out the bullet and risk hurting him more. “I’ve almost got it. I’m almost done. You’ll be alright, Nezumi. I promise.” He was rambling, giving Nezumi something to latch onto besides the pain. And he knew he was still awake because his grip was still tight on Shion’s wrist.

Finally, his fingers pinched the bullet between them and he slowly started pulling his hand away, focusing on how the bullet felt in his grip to make sure he didn’t lose it again. And then his fingers slid past Nezumi’s skin and he practically threw the flattened bullet to the ground. He wondered if it had hit through the cloth when it was partially charged with a Qilin barrier and that had kept it from penetrating too deeply.

But a gunshot wound was still a gunshot wound and it wasn’t the only thing putting Nezumi at risk. He pulled Nezumi’s shirt down to cover the wound again, needing there to be as much pressure as possible when he wrapped it. He pressed one hand against the gash while he used his other hand to work the cloth from where it was still wrapped around Nezumi’s left arm. He was able to work it free and threw it over Nezumi’s stomach so once he had it wrapped around, the knot would be positioned close to the wound where it could apply more pressure.

“Nezumi, I need to move you. Once I get this wrapped up, we can get you help.”

His voice was so choked and strained and it was getting so hard to ignore the burn in his chest and he was getting more and more concerned about what was wrong with him.

He curled his hand behind Nezumi’s neck and pulled on him to urge him to sit up, Nezumi hissing and groaning as he followed the motion to sit up, letting go of Shion’s wrist so he could rest his elbow on the ground to help support his weight so Shion could use both hands to quickly wrap both ends of the cloth around his stomach and pull it tight around him. Nezumi obviously felt how it was in place because he let himself fall back down with a loud groan. Shion continued to tighten the wrap and then knotted it as securely as he could possibly make it.

He was panting now with how his chest was tightening and burning and making it so hard to breathe. He had to rest his hand against the ground in front of him as his vision began to swim.

What was wrong with him?

He needed to get a handle on himself before he could move Nezumi.

At least he could still help Nezumi while he tried to collect himself and so he pressed his hands over the wound to give it more pressure. If he could stop the bleeding, Nezumi wouldn’t be in as great of danger of bleeding out. From what he could tell, the bleeding was the most immediate danger. So, he just didn’t let his mind wander away from that single goal, only let his thoughts revolve around how much Nezumi needed to stop bleeding.

His breathing got a bit easier, hopefully whatever had been wrong passing. He didn’t let that distract him, though, keeping his mind on how much Nezumi needed to stop bleeding, how the damage done by the bullet needed to close. The muscle needed to mend, the skin needed to scab over and stop the bleeding. And where the shot had hit meant there might have been damage to his intestines and if there was, that needed to close so the body acids didn’t cause more damage. He didn’t think he’d felt any of that sort of damage but he knew once he’d felt the bullet, he’d been focused on that and could have missed something he had no actual experience feeling out.

Shion knew that this was what needed to happen to help Nezumi recover. He _knew_ that.

Shion’s arms buckled as the burning sensation suddenly completely disappeared from his chest and about a second later flared back up in his head. Shion couldn’t ignore this. Even as he tried to keep pressure against Nezumi’s wound, he curled forward with a pained exhale.

He had to help Nezumi.

The pain got worse.

“Shion, you have to stop!” Nezumi’s voice was insistent and Shion felt a grip on his wrist again but this time it tried to pull him away from Nezumi.

“The bleeding has to stop,” he said, his voice straining with the pain.

“Shion, stop it!” Nezumi repeated and this time Shion felt his words pierce through his mind, bypassing the pain and cutting through his concentration.

But if he let himself stay distracted, he wouldn’t be able to help Nezumi. And he knew that he wasn’t thinking clearly, that he was even on the brink of hysteria but he couldn’t help it. He was confused and terrified and in pain and overwhelmed. He wasn’t used to having to moderate this much intense emotion and so he was latching on to what made the most sense so he didn’t lose it completely, so he didn’t become useless to Nezumi like he’d become useless to the Devas.

“I have to stop the bleeding,” he repeated, this time noting that his words were becoming slurred.

“Shion, the bleeding stopped! You have to stop what you’re doing right now!” Nezumi sounded stronger this time and now he was gripping at Shion’s arm, shaking him as hard as he could with his limited strength and mobility.

But that was enough to truly interrupt Shion’s thoughts and his mind went blank for a few seconds, confused at how Nezumi could know that the bleeding had stopped.

His head pulsed in pain a few more times and then it just stopped hurting.

Shion blinked a few times, feeling hollow at the sudden void of sensation. Sure, each second that passed brought him the sensation of more soreness spreading throughout his body but it wasn’t the same.

And he looked down to Nezumi to see grey eyes watching him carefully and Shion was surprised to see the unguarded concern in Nezumi’s expression. His arm was still being gripped tightly and his other hand was now resting to the side of where the gash was on Nezumi’s stomach.

“Nezumi?” he found himself asking in a soft voice.

“We need to move. It isn’t safe here and we aren’t in any shape to hold our own against anyone else.” Nezumi replied evenly, only a hint of pain making his words a bit shorter. “Are you okay to stand?”

“I don’t know what happened.” It wasn’t exactly an answer but he was having trouble concentrating.

Nezumi was moving, though, sitting up and letting go of Shion so he could push himself up the rest of the way and then he reached his arm back for Shion as his left hand curled protectively over his stomach. He pressed his hand to Shion’s cheek and then ran his long fingers into his hair and to the back of his neck.

“Shion, tell me if you can stand.”

Shion’s head pulsed in pain again but he knew this feeling: an exhausted core trying to activate. His Dispel core was trying to protect him against a core’s ability being directed at him.

Nezumi was using his Siren abilities on Shion?

But he was doing it to try and help Shion. He wouldn’t hurt Shion.

“Nezumi will never hurt me,” Shion muttered toward his core, feeling it still try and protect him. Shion focused on Nezumi, who was frowning at him. “Say something else, Nezumi.”

Nezumi looked like he didn’t want to do that and Shion understood. But he only hesitated a little before he spoke again and Shion could practically feel the weight of the influence he was trying to impart upon Shion. “You need to listen to me.” It was a good message, meant to connect with what Shion already wanted when it came to Nezumi. He always wanted to be able to listen to Nezumi, hear what he had to say.

But he still felt his Dispel core fight back, as though it was as confused as he was and could only answer a protective instinct to keep all core discharge from reaching him.

And regardless of how drained the core was, Shion suddenly felt a familiar blanket of power surround him and prepare to concentrate against Nezumi.

“Don’t you dare!” He exclaimed, driving all the care he had for Nezumi into the attention he suddenly directed toward his cores, not bothering to only target his Dispel core. He would not have his cores act against Nezumi, not when he loved him like he did.

“Shion!” Nezumi called out to him and he felt the warmth that he’d felt since that cloth filled with Nezumi’s power surrounded him.

There was a few more seconds of struggle, Shion’s power fluctuating around him as though it was confused as to what it should do before it appeared to accept Shion’s command and it faded away back into him.

The warmth of Nezumi’s touch remained.

Shion was exhausted. Could he support Nezumi even with the other teen conscious and seemingly able to support much of his own weight, at least while he was seated.

Nezumi opened his mouth to say something when he suddenly turned toward the door and his hand tensed on Shion’s neck, pulling him a bit closer instinctively. Shion turned toward the door to see a man step into view and it took him a few seconds to realize that he knew who he was looking at.

“Asaka?” he asked, not believing that he was really seeing the Deva standing there. Why would Asaka be there?

And Asaka looked stunned himself, his eyes darting around the room to take in the damage done and the two unconscious bodies of the fallen Oni before looking back to where Shion and Nezumi were defensively huddled.

“Shion, what the hell happened?” Asaka asked.

Nezumi answered instead. “Get your priorities straight and get a fucking Regen in here!”

* * *

“You were aware you were being tailed, right?” Shohei asked even as it seemed like Shion wasn’t paying him any attention, his eyes glued to the three Regens who were working on Nezumi. They didn’t look like they were rushing, like they were worried about him being truly in danger.

“Yes, of course I knew I had a tail most of the time since being released from the hospital. I’ve been assigned as a tail in my time as a Deva, remember?” Shion answered shortly. He was in pain and exhausted and really not wanting to deal with Shohei right now. But he’d shown up a few minutes after Asaka. “Were you at least close enough to catch the Plague as she was running out?”

“Of course we caught her. We would have been to the apartment sooner, but many people outside the building were their reinforcements. And Asaka made the decision to wait for back-up before he tried to enter.”

“That’s good. He could have easily been overpowered and killed if he’d tried to fight alone.”

“Why didn’t you do the same?”

Shion glanced over to Shohei before looking back to Nezumi. He was sitting up now and moving his left arm slowly so they had fixed at least most of the fractures enough for him to test mobility.

“I wasn’t looking for Oni. I was looking into old information. I never thought it would be a place that they had been using to trap people. I believe the Sidhe had been recruiting in this area, convincing users here to join him, likely in exchange for shelter and sustenance. Anything they aren’t guaranteed to get around here.”

“You suspected that much and still believed you wouldn’t meet Oni.” It wasn’t a question but a disbelieving statement. Shohei pinched at the bridge of his nose and let out a heavy sigh. “I don’t understand how your mind works sometimes, Shion. You are so intelligent and yet you completely miss warning signs right in front of your face.”

Shion ignored him. “The Plague had believed I was dead. Since you caught her before she could tell anyone, there’s no reason to believe that anyone thinks differently. And it took her being right on top of me for her to recognize me. I believe the risk is minimal as long as we guarantee that she has no way of sending the message out.”

“I won’t be removing the defensive measures over you or the deadline for full protective custody.”

Now, Shion’s eyes turned toward the second ambulance where a gurney was being loaded, a body bag zipped up to conceal a face that he would never forget.

It had been about an hour since Asaka had appeared in that doorway, signaling safety to Shion and Nezumi and Shion had been checked over in minutes, his injuries minor, and then he’d been left to process everything that had happened. He’d figured out plenty in that time but now he had to decide how much he revealed to Shohei, because if he told them everything, things would be immediately different and by the guidelines of protective custody, he’d be required to leave at once. They probably wouldn’t even let him go talk to Nezumi about twenty meters away, let alone go across the city to talk to his mom or Safu.

He had a pretty good idea what would gain that response though, knowing as much about the program as he did.

He knew all he needed to avoid that outcome.

“It won’t be necessary. I can replicate what I did up there.” And he knew he could even though he would still be testing it for the sake of proficiency and reliability; he remembered the feel of the connections he’d made with all three of his cores. He wouldn’t need the thought process that his cores had responded to when he knew what it felt like to access the abilities he’d used. The understanding was based on experience that he now had.

“What do you mean?”

“The deceased, Takeru Ota, was an Aura.” Shohei’s eyes widened and he stepped to stand between Shion and the rest of the activity going on around them. “I have the ability to destroy cores through combining my Wraith and Dispel discharge in a focused burst at an opponent’s core. Of course I can simply cut off access to a core as a Wraith, but I have a truly offensive ability to use. That means I can choose to deny the protective custody.”

Shohei turned and looked toward the ambulance Shion had been staring at, his thoughts obviously on who he had thought to be a human without a core but had, in fact, been a user who died because of the destruction of his core.

Shion wasn’t sure how he was going to live with that. He’d killed that man and that was the only truth to what had happened.

“I see. The Berserker is confirmed as Shoda Okimoto. I assume Nezumi is the one who sealed him?” Shion nodded. “We’re still trying to get an identification on the Plague but because we’ll only be waiting for confirmation on her being responsible for Yamase’s death and the attack against you, she won’t be leaving our custody. And we wouldn’t risk her being left in the open here for treatment. Both of her wrists were broken and we’ll have a Regen working directly with the Devas treat her.”

So Shion had been correct in what he’d felt; he’d been the one who caused that injury and he hadn’t quite figured that out yet. It didn’t seem like simply a matter of adrenaline, not with everything else that had happened. He may have figured out quite a bit of what happened but there was still plenty to work through before he had all the answers. “And what about other people disappearing from the area?”

“We’ll contact the U.E.A. about getting a subtle presence in the area but you already know how stretched thin we are. We’ll be ready to offer assistance if something happens but for any daily observation, you know that isn’t something we offer.”

“Good. The U.E.A. should be enough to get the Oni out of the area.”

“Is there anything else that you’d like to pass along?” Shohei’s tone indicated that he knew there was something that Shion was holding back. Which was fair considering how horrible Shion was at lying, even if it was a lie of omission.

Shion let out a weary sigh and crossed his arms, as much closing himself off as he was feeling deeply chilled, likely from the strain his body had been through truly catching up to him.

“No, there isn’t anything else. We were looking into information that I thought might lead to the identification of the Plague that attacked me. We were attacked and I’ve given as accurate of an accounting of the fight as I can recall."

“Shion, your memory on its own could be a disposition. That’s why I’m getting the impression that you are holding something back, because it feels like there are gaps that shouldn’t be there.”

“I’ve done the best I can. I don’t know what more you could ask of me. But I’m exhausted, my body hurts, my cores are nearly depleted, Nezumi almost died and I had to pull a bullet out of his stomach to make sure he survived, and now I have to go home and tell my mom that I was involved in another fight against Oni even though I’m not a Deva anymore.”

And then there was what he wasn’t telling Shohei that he would have to deal with once they parted ways.

And Shohei did seem to deflate a little when Shion showed such vulnerability. It wasn’t even an act or an exaggeration – that would have been more up Nezumi’s alley – and that likely made it all the more impactful to see. Shion saw in the Deva’s expression the moment he accepted Shion’s answer.

“You know how to contact me if you remember anything else, if you think of anything that might help us fill in any more gaps in what’s happening.”

“I know. Thank you, Shohei.”

The Deva nodded and walked towards some of the other law enforcement officers on site and Shion looked around for Asaka. He had a favor he had to ask before they parted ways. He saw him standing just in front of the door into the building, watching the perimeter for anything out of the ordinary and Shion approached him, doing everything he could to seem confident.

Asaka turned toward him and gave him a curious look as Shion approached.

“Asaka, I need a favor if it’s something that you know how to do,” he began once he was about a meter away, allowing for their conversation to be somewhat private.

“Sure, I’ll help if I can. I figure it’s the least I can do when I don’t get there to help you before you finish the fight.”

Shion allowed a small smile. “Do you have any glyphs that can replicate the energy of a core?”

Asaka looked confused at the question, then thoughtful. “Yeah, I've made a few that we use for training purposes. When activated, they create an illusion of a core and I’ve worked in symbols that allow them to respond to interaction like a real core would. It lets Initiates practice sealing without needing an actual user to practice on. Yamase used them to practice with his Wraith core; I assume you’re looking to do the same?”

Asaka was astute, as always. “Yes. Do you need to be the one to activate them?” He knew there were some symbols for a Glyph that allowed them to store enough power in the symbols for an activation by anyone pushing the right amount of discharge into it. But it couldn’t be applied to everything.

This was where Shion’s training as a Clairvoyant had been different, that he hadn’t needed to interact with cores to train. All he needed was to be able to see anyone with a core and he could practice.

“I don’t need to be the one to activate or I’d never leave the training room.” Again, Shion allowed a smile, needing the slight distraction this was allowing him. “I can charge them and you’ll be good to go. How many do you need?”

“How many can you spare?”

“It’s not a big deal. I just run the symbol through a copier and charge in bulk. The charge does only last a few days so that’ll be the thing to keep in mind.”

Shion considered how he’d be training and decided, “A few dozen?”

“Sure, I’ll stop by the bakery and drop them off for you. I’ve been long overdue for some of your mom’s muffins.”

“Give it two days so I can get some rest and process all this. Thank you, Asaka. I appreciate it. And your help today. I’m not sure what we would have done without your back-up.”

“Right. Take it easy, Shion,” Asaka’s tone became serious at the end and Shion nodded understanding.

Why couldn’t things have been this amicable between him and these men before he left the Devas?

The Regens were finished treating Nezumi, Shion noticed as he turned back toward the other teen. They were watching him move to stand, ready to help him but Shion could already tell that they’d done all that emergency Regen responders would do for treatment.

They were fortunate that Nezumi was the only one that had to be treated. That meant that all their power could be used on him, likely allowing them to help him heal just a little more than they usually would. It certainly looked like he wasn’t nearly as inhibited as he should have been with all the fractures he’d suffered.

Shion walked over to the small group, grey eyes darting toward him before he went back to focusing on what he was doing. One of the Regens noticed his approach and turned to face him just as he stepped up next to her.

“I’m glad to see you up and moving around,” she said, her tone light and friendly, though Shion frowned in confusion at the slightly strange thing for her to say. “I was one of the Regens who responded to the attack on you a few months ago. I helped treat you before you were admitted.”

“Oh, thank you for your help,” Shion gave her a polite bow, genuine in his gratitude. He’d never gotten any of the names of the people who had treated him and now he felt that had been remiss. They had saved him just as much as Nezumi had. “How is Nezumi?”

“He’ll be slow-going for a few more days, but the damage wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been considering he was facing against a Berserker. That’s such a powerful disposition and the damage they can do with a grazing blow can be lethal.”

“He’s a Qilin. Most strikes were having to penetrate a barrier."

“That makes sense then. But you already administered some treatment, right?”

Shion blinked, confused again. He certainly wouldn’t call what he’d done “treatment”.

“The damage from the gunshot wound was mostly taken care of and even a few fractures in his lower ribs already showed some signs of a Regen’s touch. He said you’d treated him a bit to get him able to move enough to reach help.”

Then that’s what had happened, Shion declared internally and he nodded agreement.

“You did well. The healing was rudimentary and some damage was missed but considering your age and the nature of the injury, you did very well. Keep practicing and you’ll make a great Regen.”

“Thank you,” Shion repeated, trying to make it sound as genuine as his other thanks and hoping she took any difference in his tone as humility toward the compliments.

Nezumi was stepping over toward him, gradually moving easier as he got used to the stiffness in his body.

“He can heal the rest of the way on his own or we can give you the contact for a Regen that specializes in fractures and broken bones and he can see them a few more times to finish up the healing. And, as you are aware, because it is damage caused by the actions of an Oni, all charges for treatment are covered by the Devas.”

“I know of a few and am familiar with the process,” Shion said, knowing that had come out smoother. “I’ll speak with Nezumi about it. Thank you again for your help. I’m relieved he’s alright.” Shion gave another deep bow to her, then another one to the other two Regens who were watching the exchange and they gave him a kind smile in return.

“Our pleasure. And this may not be our specialty, but we all picked up on instability in that connection. Make sure you guys remain in close proximity to each other for a few days or that could develop into permanent fluctuations.”

Shion had expected that to come up as well. “Of course.”

“Unless you have any other questions, you’re both cleared to go as far as we’re concerned.”

They bid them farewell, Nezumi with a meaningful nod toward the Regens and Shion with one more genuine thanks as the Regens packed up their gear and prepared to leave.

Nezumi looked over toward Shion and rose an eyebrow at him, questioning.

“We can leave. Shohei is finished questioning me and because of your injuries he’ll contact you beyond twelve hours to get your statement. It’s enough to make sure we don’t have any discrepancies between our stories.” Nezumi nodded. Since he’d already covered for Shion once, it wasn’t a surprise that he understood there was something about this that needed to be covered up. Shion wasn’t surprised that Nezumi had instinctively lied considering his foul opinion of authority.

“So, your place or mine?” Nezumi asked and Shion felt his cheeks flush at the implication.


	16. Effort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shion figured out a lot of what happened and now he has to face Nezumi...

As soon as they stepped into Nezumi’s home, the teen pulled off the cloth he’d made sure he grabbed before leaving the destroyed room, his jacket, and then eased the shirt over his head. He went for a box that he kept his clothes in at the foot of his bed and pulled out another.

He was pushing his arms through when Shion stepped up to him and grabbed one of his forearms to stop him. Nezumi aborted his motions and waited for Shion to complete his check of Nezumi.

His chest had some bruising, but it was in the later stages of healing and would fade over the next few days, his left arm in similar shape though the Regens had given him a brace that went over his hand and wrist and nearly up the length of his forearm for extra support for the damage having been pretty bad. They’d tried a sling but Nezumi had taken that off almost immediately. And there was a pad of gauze held in place by an ace bandage wrapped around his stomach to cover where he’d been shot so they likely had fixed most of the internal damage and closed the wound but had left where the blood clotted to wash out instead of worrying about completely closing it when it wouldn’t mean a risk of bleeding heavily. Pulling away the wrap, Shion confirmed that much and then felt his body become heavy with his relief. He couldn’t keep from letting out a heavy breath as he leaned forward, his forehead resting against Nezumi’s shoulder.

Warmth flooded through him at the contact and he tried not to get too attached to the sensation. After all, if Nezumi didn’t want this, Shion would respect that and they would have to spend time with no contact at all for likely weeks for it to fade. They were fortunate to have that option only because it was a weak and unstable connection made when they were weak both physically and in their cores.

He was sort of surprised to feel Nezumi’s right hand take hold of his left forearm and then trail up his arm to his shoulder and then wrap around the back of his neck.

They stayed like that for easily a few minutes until Nezumi’s hand dropped away and Shion forced himself to stand upright and allow Nezumi to pull his shirt on.

Once his chest was covered, Nezumi sat on the edge of his bed with a weary sigh and then fixed Shion with a searching look.

“So, I don’t know nearly as much about cores and dispositions as you do. I know enough to not die and only actually look for information if I’m sure its something I’m going to be facing off against otherwise I don’t care. But I know the basics well enough. I know that there can’t be two cores centered in the same part of the body. In the rare case that a second one tries to awaken, the one already there basically attacks it before it can connect. There is simply no such thing as someone having two cores with the same center.” Shion nodded absently. “So want to tell me why you were able to use the power of a Regen, a disposition centered in the left hemisphere of the brain when you already have a Dispel core connected there.”

“I also isolated the strength increase of a Berserker even though I already have a Wraith core centered in my heart.” Nezumi’s eyes widened slightly at that before he regained control and fixed Shion with an intense gaze.

“What happened, Shion?”

“You know that there is a fourth kind of core, right?” Nezumi gave him a frustrated look now but Shion continued on, needing to talk this out even if Nezumi knew all this. He had to come to terms with this himself. “Cores centered in the left hemisphere tend to require concrete knowledge and systematic thinking in order to control them. Those centered in the right hemisphere are ones where the effects are more observational or unfocused in what the abilities are, artistic if you will. And the cores that hold more of an effect on how the body of the user or others it can affect are centered in the heart. But for the cores that either require a wide variety of those effects and aren’t defined easily, they remain uncentered in the body. Their connection to the user is to circulatory system and they flow freely through the body. They are the rarest cores with the most unique dispositions and I have awakened one.”

Nezumi’s expression had gone from tolerant at his lengthy explanation but had closed off when he’d started talking about uncentered cores and now he was looking down at the floor instead of at Shion.

“The disposition is called ‘Mirror’ and that’s exactly what it does. It replicates the abilities of other cores. And while the methodology of how it activates the replication varies, I appear to have needed to see the ability having been used through my Clairvoyant core. I’ve seen Regens working on people many times with my position as a Deva and I witnessed how the Berserkers power circulated through his body once he activated it. Usually a Mirror also needs to be in proximity to a core they are replicating but I’m going to dismiss my use of a Regen abilities as a case of unusual abilities coming forward when a core awakens in response to a dangerous situation. I likely won’t be able to replicate that. From now on, the need for proximity of the core disposition to mirror will apply.  And I won’t immediately know how to use abilities so I’ll need to train my Mirroring dispositions simply so I can train in how to use them.”

Essentially, Shion would have to learn how to control any disposition he came across if this disposition was going to be something he could use effectively.

Nezumi suddenly stood, gritting his teeth through the pain and he reached for Shion again, interrupting him with a hold around the back of his neck.

“Just stop, Shion,” he commanded and Shion frowned in confusion.

“You asked what happened. This is what happened. I’ve already checked and I can feel a core that hadn’t been there before, an uncentered core.”

“People don’t have four cores, Shion! Even I know that with my selective knowledge of cores. Hell, everyone knows that.”

“No, they assume that. You can’t have two cores of the same center and I don’t. I have a core in each stationary center and one uncentered. And while I don’t know of that having previously been documented happening before, it is possible. From what I know of cores, I imagine the strain is dangerous on the body. And if not the strain, then the mental fortitude to control four cores is overwhelming and the dispositions are likely key to the level of danger presented.”

The fingers on Shion’s neck tightened slightly. “Are you in danger? Of losing control or there being too much strain?”

“I don’t think so. My centered cores are mostly passive and take some effort of thought to use. And while Mirrors tend to be very reactive and will definitely require more conscious control than the others, it doesn’t feel like it’s on edge. Perhaps the uncentered core is being influenced by the other cores as tends to happen between cores in Chimeras.”

Nezumi’s left hand reached for him now, his fingers extending to lightly brush against Shion’s cheek in a soft caress. “No one can know about this, Shion. They can’t know you’re a Chimera with four cores. They just can’t. They’ll want to take you into protective custody, make you disappear and I already told you that wasn’t acceptable. And if Oni figured it out, they’d never leave you alone.” His voice was becoming strong, demanding.

Desperate.

“Nezumi,” Shion whispered, his throat seizing with emotion.

“I had no idea why. I just heard the Regens saying that there were already traces of a Regen’s healing having fixed some of the gunshot. And I’d felt it happening. Through all that pain I felt the warmth of you healing me, the relief of you fixing some of the damage even as it looked like you were suffering to do it. Shion, if you’d seen how much pain you were in…” Nezumi paused to take in a deep breath. “It was like you were dying again. I won’t see that again.”

Shion knew that it had been an intense pain but he hadn’t realized that it had looked that bad. He hadn’t understood why Nezumi had become so desperate to stop him that he’d tried to use his Siren influence on him.

Shion went over what he knew about Mirrors. It wasn’t much with how rare of a core it was and he’d never faced one. But he did know some. “The pain shouldn’t happen. It was likely a side effect of the core first awakening when I was already experiencing exhaustion and so it was replicating the location of the dispositions I used. When I used the Berserker ability, my chest was burning and it was difficult to breath. I don’t think that will be usual when I use the Mirror core. Regardless, I won’t be using it often. Like you said: no one can know about it.”

Nezumi had seemed to collect himself some as Shion spoke. He seemed to find at least something in what had been said as a balm to his concerns.

But Nezumi’s close proximity and him bringing up the protective custody opened up the way to talking about what else Shion had done. And even with how Nezumi had continued to reach for him, kept on making contact just as he had for the past few months, Shion couldn’t help but feel guilty for what he’d done.

He hadn’t wanted to do anything that might drive them apart, not when so much work had gone into them being able to be comfortable with each other.

Shion’s hand reached up and took hold of Nezumi’s wrist as his gaze dropped and fixed on the neckline of Nezumi’s shirt to avoid any rejection in the other teen’s expression. He didn’t feel like he could handle that right now, not with this.

“About what I did…I should have known better than to do something like that no matter what. I should have known that allowing myself to act so emotionally with my cores would have this result. It just felt like it would be the only thing that would convince them that you weren’t a threat and when they stopped flaring up against you, I thought it had been alright. But then I felt it and understood what I’d done. I understand if you want to…”

Shion had been losing his conviction as he continued speaking and he ended up just tapering away into silence while he kept his eyes lowered. It felt wrong to be so concerned about what Nezumi would say or do. He hadn’t felt that in a while now and he didn’t like the uncertainty, not when it came to Nezumi.

“You know, since I’ve met you, you’ve proven yourself to be quite the airhead. Here you are, supposedly incredibly intelligent, smart enough to become the youngest Deva on record, and just full of more information than any one person really should have the capacity to retain. But then you turn around and say something like that while completely believing what you’re saying and I really start to wonder how you made it alive to sixteen.”

Shion looked up, wanting to give Nezumi a glare but he couldn’t maintain the rise of frustration at being mocked when he was trying to work things out, not when he saw the emotion in Nezumi’s eyes. He’d caught glimpses of the look Nezumi was giving him now increasingly over the past few weeks but it would always pass quickly as Nezumi would catch his focus turning toward him. But it didn’t go anywhere this time. Nezumi just kept gazing at him, his grey eyes warm and fond.

And so very beautiful.

“But it hadn’t formed. An affinity hadn’t formed in over three months of regular contact between us and I ruined that.”

Nezumi chuckled then and Shion felt his cheeks warm at being so close with Nezumi seemingly so at ease. “And we’re both aware of the struggle it was to have that be the case. It almost took hold once I was covering you with a barrier. You can say it’s your fault, even be somewhat accurate because you were the one who faltered on keeping our thoughts and emotions repressed, but affinities don’t form for one-sided feelings.”

“That doesn’t mean it’s really okay that I could make an affinity between us. It doesn’t mean that it was right. And you heard the Regen: the connection isn’t strong. If it was a good connection, that would come across with a stronger connection but ours isn’t. The affinity I made, it’s ready to fall apart. They aren’t supposed to be like that.”

Shion wondered if this would be going easier if he hadn’t spent the entire walk back to Nezumi’s place working himself up over how wrong he was about this. Because that’s all he could think now and nothing Nezumi had said yet had done anything to mitigate that feeling. He wondered if he was in some way trying to force the affinity to break right now even as they stood facing each other while holding on to the other. That was the sort of thing that helped it solidify into a stable connection.

“I didn’t want the affinity to take hold for the wrong reasons, Shion,” Nezumi declared, his tone changing slightly to press his point. “What I want to know is why you wouldn’t let it either. It takes a lot of concentration and preventative measures to keep your core from releasing the discharge to make an affinity and most people aren’t even aware that it’s happening.”

“My mom taught me,” Shion answered evasively. There was a flash of frustration in Nezumi’s gaze but he remained quiet for Shion to continue. “Any user can keep an affinity from taking hold. I believe you took the approach of using power before we spent time together so that your cores would be regaining strength instead of discharging. That’s what a lot of people who try to prevent affinities do and it usually works. Control of the thought process is what I was doing. If we were around each other, at least some of my concentration was dedicated to maintaining an absent discharge. Power is only released with no direction."

“And how did your mom know to teach you that?” Nezumi asked and Shion knew that he was still displeased though Shion couldn’t understand why.

“Because it’s dangerous to have an affinity with a Warp.”

“It’s dangerous to have an affinity,” Nezumi corrected and Shion wasn’t surprised at that belief. Many people shared it, especially if they were Devas or U.E.A.

“No, I mean that if a Warp uses their ability and they are suddenly a far distance from where they’d been, the affinity, no matter how long its been stable, can lose track and will sever. Affinities that are severed like that can cause brain damage, mental illness, or even incite a coma in either side of the connection. Why do you think there are laws against interfering with the development of an affinity?” But it had also become one of those things that weren’t focused on when people were taught about cores and affinities and not enough people knew the actual effects of a broken affinity. “So, when my core awakened, my mom taught me so I would never form an affinity with her just in case she ever had to use her core again.” His eyes lowered again, this time letting his head fall forward against Nezumi’s right shoulder. “It was so difficult with you. I just wanted to feel and I thought you were holding back too but didn’t want to actually feel the rejection of it if I were wrong and you really weren’t holding back. I didn’t think letting go once would be all it took.”

“Moron, because your ‘letting go once’ happened when we could have died. A lot can happen with cores when it’s a dangerous situation. But it’s alright that it happened.” Shion’s head shot up and he made eye contact again, needing to see Nezumi’s sincerity. “It’s old news that I have a vested interest in keeping you around. If this is what it means to keep you around, I’ll take that.” Nezumi let out a sigh, seemingly collecting himself so he could find the words he wanted to say. It was strange to see him struggle with words: Nezumi always knew what to say. “I’ve had affinities before; they aren’t that bad once you get used to them.”

Shion was about to ask him about the affinities he’d experienced, both because he’d never had one and only knew through accounts of others what they were like and also because he wanted to know more about Nezumi when the other teen had seemingly opened the door for him to ask. But before he could get the words out, Nezumi leaned closer and pressed his lips to Shion’s right temple. He held the contact for a few seconds, his lips simply resting against Shion’s skin, his breath tickling along his face. He then slid his lips down the side of Shion’s face, along the line of his cheek and toward his mouth. His hand moved from where it had cupped Shion’s neck and his fingertips traced the line of the scarring to where it came over Shion’s left cheek, causing a shiver to pass through Shion’s body.

He’d thought he’d gotten at least somewhat used to Nezumi’s insistence on touching him, but this was so different than anything else he’d done before. Sure, he traced Shion’s scarring regularly, seemingly drawn to the lines, but it was never like this.

Nothing had ever been like this between them and Shion knew this was the difference between them both holding back and letting themselves feel what had been there for a long time now.

Nezumi’s lips were tickling the skin just to the side of Shion’s mouth and he had to focus to keep breathing, his heart racing and his body practically buzzing with warmth that was partially due to the connection between them intertwining more and finding more stability with their closeness and heightened emotions.

Nezumi didn’t move any closer though, just hovered his lips next to Shion’s as though this was enough for him. Shion’s eyes opened slightly and he couldn’t see anything but Nezumi’s grey eyes, locked on him with an intensity that held the unexpected effect of instilling Shion with resolve and confidence.

Shion tilted his head, angling so that his lips touched Nezumi’s in a kiss that he’d been denying he wanted for so many weeks now. He was inexperienced in this sort of thing so all he could think to do was a press of the lips against each other. It was brief because of that, Shion pulling back away to look again at Nezumi, make sure he hadn’t done anything wrong, but Nezumi followed him and initiated another kiss at once, putting a bit more pressure into the contact though Shion still got the impression he was holding back.

Nezumi kept that contact for a few moments before he let their lips part and he rested his forehead against Shion’s as he let out a heavy sigh, sounding relieved.

“You’re going to be the death of me, Shion, I just know it.”

Shion’s grip around Nezumi’s wrist tightened at that, unable to not react to something like that with what had just happened.

Nezumi let out a short laugh in response. “Eventually. Don’t worry, I’m not dying anytime soon.”

They stood like that for a while, Shion still rolling from how he’d finally allowed his emotions freedom and knowing that Nezumi had accepted them and felt enough for him for an affinity to take hold between them, regardless of how unstable it was. However, Shion didn’t believe that instability was because of a lack of emotion, more a result of the circumstances it had been created under: both of them at risk, tired, and their cores low on strength. After all, an affinity was a connection between cores and it oftentimes became weaker if the users were low on power.

But Shion couldn’t let this be the last they talked about what had happened at the building.

So he regretfully moved away and gave Nezumi a look of determination and the other teen let out a sigh as he rolled his eyes and let his hands drop away from Shion, sitting back down on the edge of his bed.

“Why was their priority killing you?” Shion simply asked. He knew better than to try and ease into this or Nezumi would shut down before he even got started.

Nezumi had a lot of history with Oni and Shion knew none of it.

“It doesn’t have anything to do with the Sidhe you’re looking for,” Nezumi responded almost immediately, which Shion hadn’t expected.

“I didn’t expect it to, not since your involvement with Oni began before I met you and there’s nothing to support the Sidhe has been here that long. And if the risk is going to continue to be a threat, I need to know what to look for.”

“No, you just want to have an excuse to back your endless questions.” Nezumi’s voice was still teasing, even as his body language was becoming more uncomfortable. Shion was certain he’d answer him because of that. “I was born in a small rural town about a hundred miles northeast of the city. Self-sufficient so we could keep to ourselves. Had the random tourist stop in on the way to somewhere but that was the extent. The way we dealt with cores, it was a bit different than most of the world.”

“How so?” Shion prompted when Nezumi seemed to be petering off.

“Generations back, for some reason there were a lot of Sirens that awakened all around the same time. And since this was back when we didn’t really understand a lot about cores except that they gave us abilities and seemed to be something that could happen to anyone, it was taken as a sign that these were important.”

That made sense. There were still a good amount of people in the world who clung to old beliefs in regards to the cores, for good and bad. Tight-knit communities tended to converge around someone awakening a core, either making them more important or outright exiling them.

“The Siren cores became a symbol of the community, an heirloom that was passed down once there was another generation to pass it on to.”

That would only be possible through an Entrust, a transfer of a core from one person to another through the use of a user with an Ouroboros core. There was no other disposition that had that ability.

“You had an Ouroboros in the town?” Shion had to ask. Ouroboros were highly rare, protected, and always sought after by Oni.

“That was the other side. We had an Ouroboros awaken around the same time as the Sirens. We lucked out that another one was travelling through town close to when that one was going to pass away and they were able to entrust the core to someone else. They’d made a standing agreement that an Ouroboros would come back every fifty years and entrust it so we could keep our ways.”

Shion had read about instances like this, back before there was a User Enforcement Agency, when the Devas saw to things like this to allow there to be a culture to users, one of support and encouraging cooperation so no one felt alone or isolated just because they had a core. And he had no doubt that the agreement had been with the Devas because they had maintained the safety of a majority of Ouroboros for hundreds of years.

But entrusting a core, that alone made for a different level of capability with its power. A core continued to grow in power over its lifespan, which was determined by its user. Most cores simply died with its user but anyone could apply for an entrust, for their core to be passed along to someone of their choosing. If they hadn’t engaged in any illegal activity and weren’t Oni, it would be honored and their core would be passed along and endure. It didn’t always connect to the recipient, but that was becoming a rarity as the understanding of the human body and mind improved and the Ouroboros mastered their craft through that understanding. So, if a core was entrusted and connected successfully with the recipient, it continued to grow.

People with entrusted cores always had higher power levels than those who had their own cores awaken.

“How many times was your core entrusted before it came to you?” Because Shion didn’t need Nezumi to tell him that much to know his Siren core had been one of those.

“I’m the eighth one to have this Siren core. I’d already awakened as a Qilin when I received it.”

Eight generations of users for this single core to be growing. Sure, each time the user would have to learn their own command over the core, but the raw power it potentially had was staggering.

“And Oni found out about this? That you were passing along cores like this?” Shion asked even though he was already sure of the answer.

Nezumi brought his hand to the back of his neck, rubbing roughly at his skin like he was trying to distract himself, his fingers skimming under the line of his shirt and pausing for a few moments before dropping back to his lap. “Yeah. We just thought it was some tourists passing through when they attacked us. They had a Glyph, someone who had already done what they needed to cut us off from our abilities so we couldn’t defend ourselves. They burned down the town, killed everyone. Some of the villagers hid me away, found some hole in a wall to push me into before they went out to do what they could to keep me from being found. I wasn’t. I lived, made my way out of there two days later when I knew I was the only one left alive and I came to the city. Survived on the streets and started looking for anything to tell me who it was that had wiped out my entire family and town.

“The day we met, I’d gotten close. But they got out of there before I could really find them and I’m pretty sure they’re the ones that called the Devas in on me so I would be detained. They didn’t count on there being a kid around that could tell an Oni by sight to see me out of there the same day. I found out they work on a set path, that they’d be back to the city at some point. It was just a matter of waiting them out.” He let out a sigh then, sounding weary and Shion wanted to reach out for him but didn’t know if this was the right time so he refrained. “Not sure if things have changed though. They might not be making the trip back after knowing that a kid still emotionally destroyed by the genocide of his people had tracked them down.”

There was so much Shion wanted to ask but couldn’t decide if his questions would make Nezumi close down. He already seemed to be withdrawing further and it was likely only a matter of time or the wrong question for him to close off completely.

“How old were you when it happened?” Shion settled on.

“Just turned nine a month or so before the attack. Qilin core awoke at two. Entrusts always happened at age five so that we could start learning how to use it and not be too impossible to teach. Found them at thirteen. Been waiting to find them again ever since.”

There was a note of finality to Nezumi’s tone, like he’d reached the end of his tolerance. And while Shion thought he might be able to get a few more answers out of Nezumi, based on conversations they’d had over the past few months where Nezumi would just become increasingly harsh in his sarcasm even as he eventually answered, this wasn’t something Shion wanted to press him about. He wanted Nezumi to feel like he could talk to Shion about this anytime and that he would respect how much this hurt Nezumi to discuss.

Because it was obviously not something that _anyone_ would really _want_ to talk about, let alone someone as private as Nezumi.

So, instead, Shion moved to sit beside Nezumi on the bed, close enough for his leg to touch Nezumi’s. He then leaned over and rested his head against Nezumi’s shoulder, offering comfort without asking for anything in return. And for a few moments, Nezumi didn’t move to acknowledge or refuse the contact. He simply sat there, still and quiet. But then his hand reached over and took Shion’s hand, interlocking their fingers and squeezing him before he started rubbing his thumb along Shion’s knuckles absently.

“We’ll get them. And the Sidhe. I’ll help you like you’ve helped me. We’re in this together from now on, Nezumi. That’s what this affinity means,” Shion whispered, though his voice was determined. He believed with all his heart and mind that they would resolve all of this.

Nezumi’s other hand reached up and brushed at Shion’s bangs.

“That’s sweet and everything but we’re not exactly drowning in means to do that.” At least he wasn’t completely closing Shion off, regardless of the fact that his denial of Shion’s statement was actually a good point. They really were a lot more limited than they’d been even yesterday between what would likely be an increase in attention from Oni and possibly from the Devas considering all that had happened and them needing to allow for the development of their newly formed affinity.

But that didn’t deter Shion’s belief. “We’ll figure something out. I just know it.”

Nezumi’s lips pressed against Shion’s forehead briefly before he said, “Whatever you say, Your Majesty.”

It had been a while since Nezumi called him that and Shion still didn’t like it.

“Don’t call me that,” he retorted with a frown, though he found himself relaxing at the sound and feel of Nezumi’s quiet chuckle.


	17. Accept

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Explanations, planning, futures, uncertainty, but together...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it's officially the final chapter of the first fic in the Deva Chronicles Universe. I absolutely love how this fic turned out and I can't wait to write more of these two in the universe I'm working in. In addition to the overarching plot that was kicked off in this fic, I am planning on writing more individual stories that don't necessarily impact that bigger plot. There's A LOT that is going to end up going into this series and I hope you readers find more than one thing you can enjoy about it because I'm having an absolute blast here.  
> Thank you so much to everyone who has left kudos and comments throughout the updates. Thank you to anyone who comes to this fic now that it is complete. Thank you to anyone who randomly comes across it and enjoys it. I appreciate every single one of you, whether or not you kudo or comment.  
> So, without further ado, here is the last chapter. Enjoy!

It was an easy task telling his mom that he and Nezumi had formed an affinity. Nezumi had been nothing but charming in her company, treating her with a kindness he gave to no one else.

Shion thought he understood now why Nezumi did that, why he couldn’t help but feel nothing but respect for his mom. And it wasn’t just because she was the most difficult person to be angry with.

Karan had given Shion a look like she’d already been expecting it. Which was entirely possible considering she’d first met him when he was watching over Shion in the hospital. And Shion didn’t know what that had looked like, how Nezumi had acted while he was unconscious, but he could assume with how the other teen behaved when he was awake and well.

So, Karan hadn’t been the one to offer objection to Shion’s announcement. No, that ended up being Safu, who replied by saying she wanted to talk to Shion and dragged him out of the bakery, leaving Nezumi there with an amused look on his face as he watched.

Shion figured Nezumi would be following behind, remaining far enough away that they would be allowed privacy but he could still be close enough to watch over Shion and their affinity could remain stable.

They were only two days into their connection after all and it would be a while before they could really be separated with the weakness of the bond. They were in for the long haul when it came to having a stable and strong affinity.

Safu dragged him to a café down the street and pointed Shion to a seat while she went and got them drinks. Shion took a seat with his back to the window facing the street, allowing himself to be as close to the outside as possible for the sake of Nezumi being able to see him easily and remain close.

He wondered what argument he’d have to use to convince Safu this wasn’t a huge mistake. She was so defensive about Nezumi that she might not be dissuaded today. It would likely take time for her to accept that Nezumi was now guaranteed to be a permanent fixture in Shion’s life.

She sat down across from him a few minutes later and he looked up to her to try and gauge her emotions, only able to determine that she was upset in an angry way. That didn’t really help him and he realized he wouldn’t get anything besides what she decided to reveal.

“Okay, you don’t have to curb the truth so you don’t worry your mom. What aren’t you saying about this affinity?” Safu asked almost as soon as she was seated.

Shion had only told his mom that Nezumi and he had formed an affinity. He hadn’t told her about the fight and certainly didn’t tell her about the fourth core.

Shion reached out and wrapped his fingers around the warm cup, enjoying how it heated his hands so quickly. His body’s ability to regulate his temperature hadn’t recovered after the Plague’s infection and he was so often cold, especially as they were really heading into late fall and it was getting colder.

“You’re not getting out of this so don’t even try to tune out and call that a reason why you haven’t answered,” Safu scolded and Shion had to smile at her.

“For once, I wasn’t going for that. I just need to put it into words.”

“Putting things into words isn’t usually difficult for you.”

Shion wanted to say that all she needed to refute that was to see him really talking with Nezumi. He never felt like he had the right words then.

Instead, Shion’s demeanor became serious, akin to what he displayed when he’d be acting officially as a Deva. “I want you to promise that you won’t tell Mom anything that we discuss here. I need to know that she won’t find out unless I decide to tell her.”

Safu looked torn between being surprised – likely because she didn’t really see this side of him – and suspicious of what he was going to say. But she would also see how important this was to him and he believed that she would agree because she valued him being open and honest with her. And he really did want to tell _someone_ about what had happened, even if it would be an abbreviated version of events. It was different than talking to Nezumi about it because Nezumi was still learning how Shion’s mind worked, still hadn’t really picked up on when Shion _needed_ to talk to organize his mind and work things out.

“I promise. What’s said will stay between us.”

“Thanks, Safu. That means a lot to me.” Shion gave her a genuine kind smile before he took a quick sip of his drink then committed his mind to making sure he only revealed what he wanted to, guessing what she would minimally accept. “There was another attack by Oni. Nezumi and I were attacked by Oni. We were able to defend ourselves but Nezumi was injured and the affinity formed as a result of my concern over his safety.”

It was worded in a manner that was technically true and he hoped that would be enough for Safu to believe it without much more elaboration.

As it was, she really did look stunned that another assault against him was behind the affinity. Then again, she wasn’t allowed to know many details about the first attack three months ago. This would be no different with the Devas’ continued involvement.

“Shion, why is this happening? Why are the Oni so interested in hurting you?” Safu asked, her voice choking slightly with emotion and he felt a rise of guilt.

It was one thing to not be certain of things – as he had been over the past few months of whether or not he was in continued danger or if he would have to disappear – and having information kept secret. He at least knew most of what was going on, only missing what any investigation into the Sidhe had yielded by the Devas. But for Safu, and to some extent his mom, it was a completely different kind of stress and concern.

And Safu wasn’t a user to have that additional layer of understanding.

“My ability to identify Oni by sight alone was revealed to one and I was deemed a threat they couldn’t allow to be ignored. One of the attackers was the Plague who infected me. I was recognized and they tried to finish me off like I was supposed to be months ago. But the Plague was apprehended and that I’m alive should remain a secret.”

“’Should’?”

“Yes, should. I have no reason to believe that she was able to tell anyone that she found me alive. I’m not going to be considered at risk anymore.”

Safu was quiet, considering, working everything out in a way that could be dangerous for him maintaining any secrets. Not only was she extremely intelligent, she had known him for most of his life and she knew how to read him better than anyone. And while Nezumi was good at reading him, they looked for different tells and there were still aspects of Shion that Nezumi seemed to struggle with understanding. Safu didn’t have that problem.

“You’re really not worried,” she suddenly stated and he couldn’t help the smile.

“No, I’m not. I should be safe, especially with the affinity forming between Nezumi and I.”

Safu’s expression closed off again and he knew at that moment for sure that this would be a matter of contention between them for a while.

Safu didn’t want him to have an affinity with Nezumi.

“So, you guys have an affinity. That means you love each other enough that your cores want to have a connection to each other rather than just to you.”

“That is the base emotion behind affinities,” Shion agreed smoothly, not wanting to make it seem like she was wrong for having her feelings against Nezumi. She only had to understand that they wouldn’t make Shion care about Nezumi any less.

And his love for Nezumi didn’t mean he loved her any less. She was his best friend and he would always want to have her in his life, someone he would have an affinity with if she was a user even if it would be different from the one he had with Nezumi, one between friends. He wouldn’t be able to make a choice between them if that’s what either of them asked for.

“Shion, he’s not…how is he a good fit for you? You two come from completely different backgrounds and there is nothing to keep you together. Affinities aren’t some indication of people destined to be together, you know. They are a response to chemicals released in the brain when one feels love. Love can be fleeting.”

“And if it is, the affinity fades as well. I know the science behind affinities, Safu. But the science is secondary when I feel him, when I’m close to him and can practically feel the beating of his heart through this connection we have, even new and weak as it is. And if he didn’t care for me, it wouldn’t have formed at all. I’m sure that’s one of your concerns because you don’t see what I do with him. He doesn’t reveal himself to others but I’ve been allowed to see him for who he is. And, Safu, he is exactly what I need.”

Safu was observing him, taking in every aspect of his words, tone, facial expression, and body language, looking for any discrepancy between the messages.

Shohei had said that his memory was practically a disposition on its own; the same could be said for Safu’s observation and understanding of human behavior and the brain, proof that humans didn’t need cores to be capable of amazing things.

She eventually relaxed back against her chair and took a sip of her own drink before she gave him a confident smile, making him suspicious. “I’m just going to have to make sure that his side of this matches yours enough. You can say all you want that they need to have matching strength in their emotion but I’m not going to just accept that at face value. If he really does care about you, then he can handle me.”

Shion wanted to say something along the lines of that not being a fair comparison to anyone but he didn’t want to put her in a bad mood about the whole thing.

She didn’t let him anyway as she moved on to the next topic, which he hadn’t been expecting. “So, what are you going to do now? You finished school while you were a Deva right?”

Shion shook off his confusion at the change in subject. “Yes, the Devas require anyone not finished with school when they join to complete their education and it’s simply handled by teachers hired by the Devas. I was allowed to work at my own pace and finished quickly.”

“Times like this I wish I had your photographic memory,” Safu interjected with a grin.

“So I don’t need to return to school unless I start college. It may not be a horrible idea, see if I can find an area of core studies that interests me enough to pursue a degree and employment in.”

“The Devas are completely out as an option, then?”

“I was considering applying to be a consultant but I’m not so sure anymore. I feel like there may be too many limitations on the position for me to be utilized fully and I’m not keen on holding a wasted role.”

“You always did need to feel necessary.” Shion frowned and thought he felt himself flush slightly at that but wasn’t sure and Safu moved on easily enough anyway. “Well, the Devas aren’t the only ones out there. If you’re really determined to remain in a position where you’re using your abilities to help others, why not apply to the User Enforcement Agency instead?”

Shion had been considering that since he’d truly started getting a handle on his cores. And he really had figured out what he needed to increase his control further, now having experience he remembered of his Wraith and Dispel cores being used. And he was successfully locating his Mirror core regularly even if he hadn’t tried to tap into any abilities consciously yet.

The U.E.A. held a lot of possibilities for him.

But him applying to the U.E.A. meant Nezumi applying to the U.E.A. And while Shion was confident that Nezumi would be accepted into the agency, even if it was only in a position as an affinity partner, he was just as confident that Nezumi likely wouldn’t _want_ to apply. Nezumi held no care for authority figures so how would he accept being one?

Shion was worried about bringing it up to Nezumi even though he knew he would have to if he wanted a decision to be made.

“Would it really be such an imposition for Nezumi to become an agent?” Safu asked then, Shion not really surprised that she figured out what was going through his mind. “He’s a user, you guys have an affinity, and he doesn’t have a criminal record so what would be the problem. Wait, he doesn’t have a criminal record, right?”

“No, he doesn’t have a criminal record,” Shion hastily answered. That was certainly not something she needed to get in her head to further stain her opinion of Nezumi.

“It’s not like he has to like it. He’d be there for you, his position restricted to being your partner just like your position would be restricted to being his if it was the other way around. And there are plenty of departments and jobs within the U.E.A. that I’m sure you guys could find something that you were both happy with.” She let out a sigh as her hands slowly spun the cup around in her fingers. “I just don’t want you to give up something you want without talking to him first and really finding out if there wasn’t some way to make it work. You claim that you see parts of him that no one else does so prove it, to yourself at the very least. And maybe a little to him because I swear he might not actually notice. Guys like him, they aren’t all that great at introspection and he may not realize just how much he gives away to you.”

“I don’t know if a few days into a formed affinity is the ideal time to be discussing what sacrifices we’re willing to make for the sake of a career. That just seems like it should wait until at least a month in.”

Shion got the laugh he’d been hoping for and was grateful for Safu allowing that diversion. While part of his deflection was because he didn’t feel comfortable discussing this when he wasn’t even sure it was something he’d want to look into, he also really thought it was too soon for Nezumi and him to have a conversation like that. Shion just had no idea what he was looking at as far as Nezumi’s likelihood of giving up on this affinity and moving on.

Safu reached across the table then, taking hold of his hand and squeezing comfortingly. “Just promise me fear won’t be the reason you don’t talk to him. Because if it is, you’ll just keep on regretting it and that can’t be conducive to a burgeoning affinity.”

Now she was teasing him and he figured it was time to move on to less serious topics. He’d thought it would take longer for them to get to that point but he wondered just how uncomfortable he’d seemed about talking about everything they had that perhaps Safu had decided to let him off easy. Which if that was the case, he could expect to be revisiting the subjects in a few weeks when she deemed it long enough to let him settle into whatever it was that he’d had problems talking about.

But no time would make this an easier conversation, not when there was nothing he could do but withhold the truth. He had to be careful with who he revealed this to and he couldn’t justify Safu being one who he told. Perhaps if there was ever a day where he could ensure her safety, but she was vulnerable and made for an easy target if someone wanted to get to him so she was better off not knowing.

About an hour later, Nezumi walked into the café, earning a glower from Safu as he immediately walked toward them. Once he stepped up next to the table, he gave Shion a pointed look, then nodded his head to prompt him to move over so Nezumi could sit next to him, which Shion complied quickly. He didn’t expect Safu to stay long but he wasn’t going to refuse Nezumi being close. While Shion had felt that Nezumi had been right outside the building, standing close even though there had been a wall between them, it was completely different for him to be _right there_.

“The least you could do is pardon the interruption,” Safu scolded and Nezumi simply gave her a grin, the kind that just made it seem like Nezumi believed he was above everyone else and they weren’t worth his time. The most common recipient of that particular look had been Inukashi as far as Shion could tell and they’d spent quite a bit of time with her over the past few days.

“I didn’t make you stop talking so it’s not technically an interruption,” Nezumi shot back.

Shion shook his head as he held off any show of amusement. Nezumi being antagonistic towards Safu may not help her opinion of him improve any quicker but he wouldn’t curb his personality for anyone and that would be better in the long run. It may make her more aware of seeing something between him and Nezumi, possibly an expression exchanged that would convince her of what was between them.

“Well, I have no intention of sticking around while you guys do whatever you do to help an affinity along. I’ll stop by the bakery tomorrow, as usual.”

Safu stood and headed for the door without a second glance back, keeping completely within her norm of saying what she wanted to and then leaving people to deal with it, especially if it was Shion.

The door had barely closed behind her when Nezumi grabbed Shion’s drink from his loose grip and took a sip before frowning and sliding it back to Shion.

“You drink coffee. Why is that not coffee?”

Shion smiled then. “Yes, I drink coffee but I don’t prefer it. Safu always gets me hot chocolate when we come here.”

“How’d it go?”

Shion looked to the empty chair Safu had vacated. “I think it went as well as it possibly could. She’s wary of you and doesn’t like you so you can imagine how happy she is that there is more of a guarantee that you won’t simply stop showing up. I believe she’ll accept you eventually once she finds proof for herself that you really do care about me.”

“Isn’t an affinity proof enough?”

“Not for someone who had already gotten started on a major in neuropsychology.”

“She’s worse than a shrink,” Nezumi muttered as he turned a bit in his chair to angle more toward Shion, fixing him with an even look. “How much did you tell her?”

“As little as she would let me tell. As far as she’s concerned, I was attacked again by the Plague but we were able to fend her off so that my survival isn’t known. And the affinity formed because of the risk to our lives. That’s all she needs to know and that should be enough to make sure she remains safe.”

“If the Oni ever do find out you’re alive or the ones targeting me get an identity on you, no amount of secrecy is going to guarantee they leave her and your mother alone. Family and friends make for the easiest target when it comes to forcing someone’s hand.”

“I know, but we also have to consider that it is possibly a large force we’re up against with the Sidhe. We would be best off assuming he has the alliance of every disposition there is available. Including Readers, who are able to read the thoughts of others.”

“Give me some credit; I know what a Reader is.” Nezumi tipped his chin up at Shion, giving one of his haughty looks and Shion shook his head with a laugh.

“There’s a lot that is going to have to be changed if we want to have a solid defense in place against either of us being targeted.”

“Yeah, I know. It’s only a matter of time before word gets back to someone that a couple of teenagers took out three Oni and then we’re screwed.”

Nezumi had inadvertently set the path to bring up the U.E.A. and Shion felt like he was better to bring it up now so that they could both think it over and decide together if it would be the right course.

“I’ve had a thought of an option we have available to us to remain aware of the Oni’s movements, even continue investigating what we know with resources not available to citizens.”

Nezumi’s grey eyes narrowed and Shion wondered if he didn’t need to actually say it for Nezumi to know what he was talking about. Nezumi was smart himself, it was entirely possible. But Shion fully expected the other teen to make him say it even if he did know.

“It’s just an idea and I’m not even sure where I stand on the prospect. But we could apply to the User Enforcement Agency. And we would be applying as affinity partners so we wouldn’t be put in separate roles. There are actually specifications that can be included for one of the affinity partners, like their only duties as an agent can be connected to a defensive role over their partner. So you could apply under that guise and officially be an agent but no one would expect you to do anything but watch out for me. You wouldn’t even be required to be polite to others.” Nezumi gave him a smirk at that. “Like I said, it’s only an idea and I have a lot more that I have to look into to determine if it’s even a viable option for us considering what we have to conceal.”

Nezumi reached over toward Shion again, this time wrapping his fingers around Shion’s wrist. “The U.E.A. finding out about you having a fourth core can make for just as complicated of a situation as the Devas finding out. They have their own protective custody and you can bet you’d qualify.”

“I don’t know the details of their protective custody, though it is very likely that the Devas would simply be informed and we’d be back where we started. And I can’t operate if in protective custody. _We_ can’t operate at all towards finding our answers in protective custody.”

“Do you have any research leads tucked away in that overactive brain of yours?”

Nezumi was asking questions which meant it wasn’t an outright dismissal of the idea. Maybe it hadn’t been the first time the thought had occurred to Nezumi as the U.E.A. being an option.

“I’ve never focused on any research of uncentered cores but I recall reading somewhere about people being able to manipulate where they were located in the body. Perhaps there is an answer there.”

“Whatever happens, whatever we end up deciding about how to move forward, that’s my requirement. We have to be able to maintain this secret. Past that and being able to do what I want in making sure you stay alive and safe, I’m not too picky.”

Shion smiled widely at that, at how open Nezumi was to their options. Granted, their options weren’t necessarily vast as far as being in a position to follow their respective goals, but he was open to them and that meant a lot to Shion.

He shifted his hand so that he could take Nezumi’s hand in his before he took a quick scan of the café. There were no other customers and the staff were all occupied or talking. Deciding to risk getting Nezumi irate with him but it being worth it, Shion leaned over and kissed Nezumi, his other hand bracing against Nezumi’s thigh to make sure he didn’t overbalance.

Nezumi accepted the kiss without a break in his gaze, though Shion felt Nezumi return the contact even if Shion kept it brief.

His heart pounded just a bit faster, far from accustomed to this act between them and he wondered how long it would take to get used to the idea of more. In some ways, he always wanted to feel this sense of it being something new and exciting even as he wanted them to reach a level of comfort that everything between them felt natural.

He leaned back enough to sit back down completely on his seat, but he remained leaning forward, close to Nezumi. And Nezumi reached back for him with his free hand, running his fingers through Shion’s hair along the line of his scar.

“I changed my mind. I have one more requirement,” Nezumi declared and Shion frowned at that, a little concerned as to what Nezumi could ask for after kissing him. “Whether its from me or you find someone else to teach you and I give the okay on them, you learn to fight.”

“Nezumi…” Shion started, feeling his pulse quicken for a completely different reason now. His uncertainty towards learning to fight hadn’t changed. In fact, because of what he’d done to the Aura – his nights had been far from restful since – he was in ways more concerned about learning how to fight, how to purposefully hurt someone.

“Non-negotiable Shion. I won’t have the reason you lose out to someone be because you refused to learn how to dodge or throw a counter. Like I said, I don’t care if it’s me or if you find some sage sensei to learn from, as long as you learn.” Nezumi squeezed at his neck and pulled him so their foreheads touched, his lips brushing quickly against Shion’s before he continued. “It’s not about learning how to hurt people. It’s about being able to protect yourself for those moments where I can’t. If you have other options, you won’t have to resort to something that’s going to keep you up at night.”

Because Nezumi had been staying over at Shion’s the last few nights, the instability of their affinity meaning that even the hours through the night could undo some of the progress it made in becoming a solid connection. And while he started out across the room, it wouldn’t take long for him to be in bed with Shion, trying to calm him from whatever his subconscious decided to throw at him that night.

Knowing that this wasn’t something Nezumi would budge on, Shion gave a slight nod, enough of a motion that Nezumi would have felt it.

There was so much uncertainty about their futures right now. Practically every aspect of Shion’s life had been turned on its head over the past few months and he was struggling to keep up. And he knew that the uncertainty was there for Nezumi as well, regardless of how little he could claim to be a certainty in his life prior to his reconnection with Shion a few months back.

And Shion was afraid that what had happened to him was just the start of something much larger, something that he’d have to see through at some point in the future.

However, Shion would confidently say that this right here between him and Nezumi was a thing he could be certain of. There was just something in what he felt when he was with Nezumi that told him that he’d found his constant, that no matter where he was, Nezumi would be there as well. They would be able to face things together, grow together, and develop what they had into something that no one could doubt.

That was the truth in Shion’s life that he would base everything else around from now on. Even if he ended up wrong, even if something happened to separate them, he would never regret Nezumi.

He owed so much to Nezumi and there were flashes of expression he caught in Nezumi’s eyes that made him believe that the feeling was reciprocated.

He would see that they stood together as equals in everything they faced from here on out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shion and Nezumi make an appearance in the second fic of this series, Mark of the Ouroboros, which is in the Only the Ring Finger Knows fandom. (Which if you haven't heard of it, its a yaoi novel series/single manga volume. The relationship in that story is really sweet and isn't as....intense as many other yaoi tend to get.) That story takes place about two years after this fic ends. They come in at chapter 11 for quite a few significant scenes.  
> If you have any questions, please feel free to ask and I'll answer if it isn't plot relevant to further installments of the series.  
> I'm looking forward to writing these guys some more and seeing how they continue to grow in this world.  
> Thank you again to all readers and I'll see you next time.

**Author's Note:**

> I meant to add this before finishing the fic, but sort of forgot. My bad. It's a glossary of all the dispositions that are included in this fic and a very basic description of what they do, just so you guys can have a quick reference if needed:  
> Clairvoyant: can see other cores  
> Projector: uses physical contact to plant visual and auditory hallucinations  
> Wraith: uses physical contact to disrupt the connections between others and their cores.  
> Glyph: uses drawn symbols to channel their core’s power into what they want to use it for  
> Elemental: controls elements through physiological motions, different element is given different designation.  
> Sidhe: controls wind.  
> Plague: uses physical contact to influence and affect the body’s functions, especially the immune and nervous system.  
> Dispel: negates the effects and power of another core once it has been released.  
> Regen: accelerates healing  
> Aura: concentrates power to a single point that then expands quickly into a blast  
> Berserker: core enhances strength, stamina, reflexes, senses, and recuperative aspects of the body for a limited amount of time  
> Mirror: allows the user to copy the abilities of another disposition


End file.
